Ex-Florida college student who hit cop with skateboard during Capitol riot gets 3 years in prison; father also sentenced
ORLANDO, Fla. — A former Full Sail University student who struck a police officer with a skateboard while participating in the U.S. Capitol riot was sentenced to more than three years in federal prison last week.
Grady Douglas Owens, 22, of Blanco, Texas, was arrested in April 2021 in Winter Park, where he was attending college. His father, 50-year-old Jason Douglas Owens, was also sentenced Friday for his role in the attempted insurrection.
Authorities say Jason and Grady Owens had illegally entered the west lawn area of the Capitol when they encountered a group of officers with the Metropolitan Police Department. As the officers tried to get through the crowd of rioters, Jason Owens allegedly struck one on the side of his body with a skateboard he was carrying.
The older Owens also shoved an officer in the face, causing a struggle between the officers and rioters, authorities said.
The father and son later joined a group that unsuccessfully tried to force its way through the East Rotunda doors, during which Jason Owens is accused of grabbing a baton from a Capitol Police officer, leading to another skirmish.
Authorities said Grady Owens videotaped himself egging on his fellow rioters and taunting authorities: “Hold these traitors accountable.” “We will not concede.” “You can’t stop us.” “Tear gas ain’t [expletive], folks.”
Grady Owens in November pleaded guilty to assaulting law enforcement officers and disorderly conduct. On Friday, he was sentenced to 37 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release.
His father was sentenced to two years in prison and three years of supervised release.
More than 1,000 people have been arrested in connection with the Capitol riot, ranging from those without a prior record of extremist activity to the leaders of several hate and anti-government groups, like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers.
The riot began after a speech by then-President Donald Trump, who repeated lies that the election had been stolen from him through fraud. Rioters then stormed the Capitol and sought to prevent the counting of Electoral College votes, to halt the certification of President Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election.
© Orlando Sentinel
MAGA rioter defending himself uses trial to question his son who turned him in
Brian Mock, a Minnesota man who stormed the Capitol on January 6 and is accused of assaulting police officers, was turned in to the FBI by his own son, A.J. — and he used part of his trial to speak to his son from the heart on the stand, reported NBC News on Monday.
Mock, who requested a bench trial, is representing himself in the case, according to the report.
"What you guys did today was treason and a homeland security threat ... Everyone there should be locked up for the rest of their lives, including you," wrote A.J. Mock in one text message that prosecutors showed at trial. "You STORMED THE F------ CAPITOL." He asked his father "what the hell" made him think "that was a good idea?" And he was, according to the report, "one of several tipsters who turned him into the FBI after the Capitol attack."
"Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Gordon, on cross-examination, asked A.J. Mock to describe his relationship with his dad as complex. A.J. Mock testified that he loved his dad and that he doesn't want to see him go to prison," said the report. "A.J. Mock said that his dad was like a broken record when it came to talking about the 2020 presidential election, which Brian Mock believed was stolen. A.J. Mock said he'd make an effort to avoid discussing the topic with his dad and that he 'tried to tune it out' when his father talked about the election."
"At one point, on redirect, Brian Mock tried to elicit his son's sexual orientation on the stand, but Judge Boasberg said it was beyond the scope of his testimony. It's unclear what he intended by the question and he moved on," said the report. "Brian Mock said that he'd forgiven his son right away when he learned that A.J. Mock had turned him into the FBI and asked his son whether he would lie on the stand to keep him out of jail. 'No,' A.J. Mock said at trial. 'I just want the truth to be heard.'" The elder Mock told his son, "You know I'm proud of you, right? And you know I love you, right?" to which he said yes.
Over 1,000 people have been charged, convicted, or accepted deals in connection with the attack on the Capitol — the largest number of defendants for a single event in American history.
Far-right groups, most notably the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, who were key figures in planning the violence, have been convicted of seditious conspiracy.
AFP
