A New York man who punched a police officer and took a riot shield during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack was sentenced to nearly three years in prison Friday.
Jonathan Munafo, 36, is set to serve 33 months behind bars with 36 months of supervised release after pleading guilty in April to two felony charges of assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers and civil disorder.
The day of the attack, Munafo cheered along with other rioters as they attempted to breach the Capitol in Washington, according to the Department of Justice.
“He used two different poles to strike the window of a Capitol office approximately 13 times,” the DOJ said in a press release. “Munafo often looked back at the crowd, shouting, chanting, and attempting to rile up the other rioters.”
Later that afternoon, Munafo punched a member of the Metropolitan Police Department twice before grabbing with the officer’s shield.
“The second punch from Munafo appears to have caused the officer’s head to snap back,” the press release said. “Munafo then took the officer’s riot shield and slunk away into the crowd, leaving the officer without a shield and vulnerable to attacks from other rioters.”
Approximately 140 police officers were injured the day of the attack. Others later died by suicide.
Munafo is among more than 1,100 people who have been charged for their roles in the riot.
Several members of the violent neo-fascist gang the Proud Boys were recently sentenced to years in prison in connection with the attack. Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, the group’s former chairman, was given the longest sentence yet among all Jan. 6 cases when a judge slapped him with 22 years behind bars earlier this month.
If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for mental health support. Additionally, you can find local mental health and crisis resources at dontcallthepolice.com. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention.