His Sentence Ranks Among the Longest Issued to Defendants for Roles in the Capitol Insurrection
David Nicholas Dempsey, a 37-year-old man with a history of political violence including a 2019 incident where he used bear spray against peaceful protesters at the Santa Monica Pier, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Friday for his involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, according to several reports.
His sentence ranks among the longest issued to defendants for their roles in the Capitol insurrection, according to the Associated Press.
Prosecutors described Dempsey as one of the most violent rioters, detailing his aggressive actions during the attack. He was seen stomping on police officers’ heads and using flagpoles, metal crutches, and pieces of furniture as makeshift weapons. Dempsey reportedly climbed on other rioters, using them as “human scaffolding” to reach officers guarding a tunnel entrance. His attacks injured multiple police officers, including a Metropolitan Police Department detective and a sergeant, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Dempsey pleaded guilty in January to two counts of assaulting law enforcement officers with a dangerous weapon. In a statement before his sentencing, he called his actions “reprehensible” and apologized to the officers he assaulted. “You were performing your duties, and I responded with hostility and violence,” he stated, as reported by Patch.com.
His sentencing comes nearly five years after Dempsey was charged with spraying bear repellent on a crowd of political protesters at the Santa Monica Pier.
On Oct. 19, 2019, officers working the Pier observed a fight between two groups of protestors. One of the protestors, later identified as David Dempsy, dispersed a canister of bear repellent into the crowd, affecting numerous protestors and non-involved pier patrons. As seen in a YouTube video, Dempsey was wearing a red “Make America Great Again” hat.
Trump supporters and anti-Trump protestors exchanged insults for around 10 minutes, according to the Los Angeles Times, before shoving one another and yelling obscenities. That’s when Dempsey pulled out the bear repellent, video showed.
Police cornered Dempsey soon after the incident and detained him near the police substation on the Pier.
In addition to using bear spray against peaceful protesters at the Santa Monica Pier, Dempsey’s extensive criminal record includes multiple charges of burglary, theft, and assault. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Brasher characterized him as “political violence personified.”, according to Patch.com
Since the January 6 attack, over 1,488 individuals have been charged with crimes related to the Capitol breach, with nearly 550 facing assault charges against law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing, and the case has drawn attention amid discussions of potential pardons for rioters by former President Trump.
