A 35-year-old man who participated in the Capitol riot and stole the badge and radio of D.C. Police Officer Michael Fanone has some regrets.
Thomas Sibick, who had been held in D.C. jail since April, wrote to the federal judge overseeing his case and explained that he was “consumed by the mob mentality.”
“January 6th was a disgrace to our nation that left a scar Trump is ultimately responsible for, but we are strong and will heal from it,” wrote Sibick, who’s from a Buffalo, NY suburb.
“While many praise Trump, I loathe him,” Sibick added, noting that the former president’s “words and actions are nefarious, causing pain and harm to the world.”
Vice explains that Sibick’s letter was part of a bid to free him from pre-trial detention:
Sibick’s attorney argued Tuesday that holding alleged Capitol rioters together in the D.C. jail bore the potential for a “radicalizing” experience, and described their behavior—which includes singing the “Star-Spangled Banner” every night at 9 p.m.—as “cult-like.” His attorney also said Sibick chose to go into solitary confinement rather than be in the jail’s general population.
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson agreed to release Sibick to the custody of his parents, insisting that they limit his access to cable news. Jackson also described the D.C. jail where Sibick was held as a “toxic environment.”
The Buffalo News reports:
In his letter to the judge, Sibick refers once to the police officer he is charged with intentionally assaulting and robbing. D.C. Police Officer Michael Fanone was dragged down Capitol steps into a mob of rioters, then tased, beaten with flagpoles and stripped of his gear, according to prosecutors. Sibick has admitted to taking Fanone’s badge and radio, burying the badge in his backyard and then lying about it, according to earlier court filings.
“I disagree with what occurred that fateful day, especially the trauma suffered by Officer Michael Fanone, it is without question unconscionable,” he wrote the judge.
An NBC affiliate in Buffalo adds:
In court documents, prosecutors say Sibick can be seen through the lens of a body camera, reaching for the officer, and that Sibick can be seen posing with an officer’s shield. Prosecutors also show a picture of the bulletproof vest, showing the hole where the badge was.
Court documents state Sibick came back to Amherst and buried the badge in his backyard, something prosecutors say he kept changing his story about.
Defense attorneys for Sibick argued he was just trying to help pull the officer away from the rioters. Prosecutors say Sibick went on social media, saying he was in the riot, and saying in a post, “Wildest experience in my life.”
In his letter, Sibick explained:
Although I strive for excellence I will be the first to admit that I am not perfect. My life has been full of joyful times, however there has been a fair share of growing pains, none more significant than what I am currently experiencing. The shame, dishonor, and regret endured are without question the worst emotions ever experienced.