Ex-NYPD officer convicted of assaulting DC officer during Jan. 6 riot
The video showed Webster repeatedly using profanity before pushing the Capitol barricade at officers
Former New York police officer Thomas Webster on Monday was found guilty of assaulting a police officer during the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
He was convicted on all seven charges, including disorderly conduct at the Capitol and civil disorder, according to the Department of Justice.
The 56-year-old Webster blamed D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer Noah Rathbun for provoking the incident on Jan. 6, but body camera footage contradicted his testimony, The New York Post reported.
The video showed Webster repeatedly using profanity before pushing the Capitol barricade at officers.
Rathbun responded by slapping Webster in the face using the back of his hand, as shown on film.
Webster then took a flag pole and proceeded to swing at officers.
He then tackled the D.C. police officer to the ground and pulled off his gas mask, the video shows.
Assistant US Attorney Brian Kelly told the federal jury that Webster's self-defense claims were false.
"Don’t let the defendant off the hook for what he did that day," he said.
Webster faces up to 20 years in prison. He was the first Jan. 6 defendant to stand trial for assault.
Webster served as an NYPD officer for 20 years before retiring in 2011, the Post noted.