A Washington, D.C., jury convicted high-profile U.S. Capitol riot defendant on all seven federal counts Friday, after 4 hours of deliberation.
Doug Jensen, a QAnon conspiracy theorist from Iowa, was accused of being among the many first to breach the U.S. Capitol and was on the entrance of the mob that chased U.S. Capitol Police officer Eugene Goodman up the steps of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Goodman testified within the trial that he felt boxed in and engulfed by the mob led by Jensen. Prosecutors confirmed video from that day through which Goodman was seen main the mob away from the Senate flooring, the place senators had been sheltering on the time. He mentioned that he ran throughout Sen. Mitt Romney within the corridor and urged him to return to the ground, the place he can be safer.
He additionally testified that he had suffered a blow to the top from an merchandise thrown from inside the mob. He recalled being overcome by bear spray at one level and retreating to the Capitol Rotunda to clean his eyes. Whereas within the Rotunda, Goodman vomited right into a bucket earlier than working again exterior to the confront the rioters, in accordance with his testimony.
Goodman advised the courtroom that he responded to an pressing radio name when the doorways of the Capitol had been breached — he ran towards his publish exterior the Senate chamber, after which was credited with luring the mob away from U.S. senators, a few of whom had been nonetheless on the ground as their evacuation was underway.
Justice Division prosecutors argued Jensen "was there … so he might get Mike Pence." They famous that Jensen was seen "exterior the door the place the vp was purported to be," and added, "that does not occur by chance."
Jensen gained distinctive notoriety due to the footage and the distinctive black QAnon shirt he wore that day. He did not testify in his personal protection.
He has been held in pretrial detention and can stay in jail pending sentencing. Jensen had already violated pretrial launch restrictions on cellphone use by watching a cellphone video feed of MyPillow CEO and Trump ally Mike Lindell.
Jensen's legal professional described him in closing arguments as a "terribly confused man on Jan. 6 who believed in QAnon and whose mindset was impacted by the pandemic."
He argued that Jensen shouldn't be lumped along with the opposite extra violent defendants on the Capitol that day as a result of he did not really hurt anybody: "This man by no means raised a hand. He by no means received bodily. He by no means threatened anybody."
The protection additionally argued that the explanation Jensen was on the Capitol was that he needed the officers there to arrest the vp and that Jensen actually believed that it wanted to occur. Jensen, was carrying a knife in his pocket on the Capitol, however his legal professional claimed he had it not as a result of he supposed to make use of it, however as a result of he is a blue-collar employee.
The federal government, nonetheless, identified that Jensen had made a number of feedback to officers he encountered that urged his intentions had been extra violent than depicted by the protection. He had advised USCP Inspector Lloyd to "give up the constructing" and requested one other officer at one level, "cannot we simply storm in there?"
Prosecutors mentioned that Jensen did not simply occur to be on the entrance of the mob chasing Goodman. They mentioned he weaponized the mob, that he had gone to nice lengths to get into Capitol constructing, scaling a wall and leaping via a window he had watched others shatter.
Jensen will face sentencing on Dec. 16 and can stay in pretrial detention till then.