Capitol rioter who jabbed Confederate flag at black cop jailed

A photo of Kevin Seefried holding the Confederate flag inside the US Capitol had widely circulated following the 6 January 2021 riots

A rioter who jabbed a Confederate flag at a black policeman while storming the US Capitol two years ago has been sentenced to three years in prison.

Kevin Seefried, 53, was convicted in June of obstructing Congress and unlawful parading.

Images of him bearing the banner of the slaveholding South during the US Civil War in the seat of American democracy ricocheted around the world.

A judge in Washington DC called Seefried's actions "outrageous".

Seefried thrust the base of the flagpole at US Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman, who is black, several times without making contact, prosecutors said.

During Thursday's sentencing, Judge Trevor McFadden noted this incident and said: "I hope you realise how deeply offensive, how troubling it is."

Mr Goodman has previously recalled that Seefried told him: "You can shoot me, man, but we're coming in."

Prosecutors said Seefried was the 12th rioter to enter the Capitol that day, coming in through a broken window, and that he remained inside for 25 minutes.

The drywall mechanic from Laurel, Delaware, told the court he regretted his actions and had "crossed the line" during the raid on the Capitol on 6 January 2021.

"My intention was to use my voice," he told the judge. "I never wanted to send a message of hate."

Judge McFadden found Seefried guilty of other charges, including entering a restricted building and disorderly conduct.

The three-year sentence is shorter than the nearly six years that was sought by prosecutors.

Seefried's son, Hunter, was also at the Capitol during the riot. He was convicted of obstruction and sentenced to two years in prison last year.

Both had travelled to Washington DC to attend a rally hosted on the day of the riot by then-President Donald Trump, who riled up supporters with unfounded claims that Joe Biden stole the election of November 2020.

More than 940 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the breach on the US Capitol, and nearly 500 have pleaded guilty so far.