(Photo : Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 08: The US Capital is seen as National Guard secure the the grounds on February 08, 2021 in Washington, DC. Trump faces a single article of impeachment that accuses him of incitement of insurrection on the Jan. 6 riot at the US Capitol, which left five people dead, including a Capitol Police officer.
Jacob Chansley, aka "QAnon Shaman," was one of the first 30 rioters who flocked to the US Capitol on Jan. 6.
According to reports, Chansley is the second rioter who has been sentenced to 41 months in prison, which is one of the longest sentences handed down to insurrectionists as of late.
Jacob Chansley believes he's a good man
But during his sentencing, Chansley refused to refer to himself as an insurrectionist or a domestic terrorist. Instead, he told Judge Royce C. Lamberth that he was a good man that broke the law.
Chansley added that if he were given a chance to go back in time, he would make better choices and not participate in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. However, the harm has already been done.
Assistant US attorney slams Jacob Chansley in court
However, not everyone bought his statements in court, especially Assistant US Attorney Kimberly Paschall, who told the judge that if Chansley maintained peacefulness on Jan. 6, they wouldn't be discussing his fate in court.
According to Paschall, Chansley shouted chilling statements while inside the US Capitol, and he also wrote a threat-filled note on then-Vice President Mike Pence that said it's only a matter of time before justice is served.
Even though Chansley did not assault any of the police responders that day, he still served as a demonstrator, who later became the face of the Capitol riot after his photo wearing a Viking hat with fur and horns made front-page news.
Lamberth echoed Paschall's statement by acknowledging that what Chansley did was terrible and horrific. However, the judge also believes that Chansley regrets his actions, according to the Huffington Post.
Jacob Chansley suffers from mental illness
According to reports, prosecutors initially asked Lamberth to sentence Chansley to 51 months in jail. They said that such a lengthy sentence would serve as a warning to those planning protests in the near future.
His lawyer asked the court to give Chansley a lower sentence because his client reportedly feels remorse for what he did. Chansey's lawyer also cited his client's mental illness, which he has been battling for years.
However, Lamberth's decision to give Chansley a 41-month prison time is what he deemed fit for the rioter.
"I broke the law, and if I believe in freedom, and if I believe in law and order, and I believe in responsibility, then I should do what Gandhi would do, and take responsibility. I hope that you see my heart and my desire to live the life of Christ or Gandhi," Chansley told Lamberth via CNBC.
Scott Fairlamb sentenced to 41 months in jail
Last week, Lamberth gave New Jersey man Scott Fairlamb a similar sentence for assaulting a police officer during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Fairlamb also apologized to the court for his misdemeanor and said that he was somehow misunderstood. After all, Fairlamb claimed that he has respect for authorities because his brother works as a Secret Service agent, according to MSN.
Related Article: New Jersey Man Sentenced to Over 3 Years in Prison for Assaulting an Officer at the Jan. 6 Capitol Riot
