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A former Virginia police officer was convicted in April on six counts associated to the Capitol riot.
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Thomas Robertson wrote a letter to the decide about his way of thinking earlier than and on January 6.
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Robertson famous his stress, extra ingesting, and a “rabbit gap” of election conspiracy theories.
A former police officer who was convicted on a number of counts associated to taking part within the Capitol riot mentioned he was below stress, ingesting an excessive amount of, and in a “rabbit gap” of conspiracy theories main as much as the rebellion.
Thomas Robertson, 49, was a police officer in Rocky Mount, Virginia, however was fired shortly after his arrest in January 2021. In April, he was discovered responsible by a jury on six counts, together with obstructing an official continuing and getting into and remaining in a restricted constructing or grounds whereas carrying a harmful weapon.
In a letter filed Thursday forward of his sentencing, Robertson mentioned he took duty for what he did however needed to make the decide conscious of issues that “might have contributed to” his way of thinking earlier than and on January 6, 2021.
Months earlier than the assault, Robertson mentioned he grew to become the first caretaker for an older good friend who had mind most cancers, along with being a police sergeant and small farmer. The older good friend was a “vocal and enthusiastic Trump supporter and on account of caring for him I used to be uncovered to plenty of professional Trump, anti Biden media.”
Robertson mentioned the stress he was experiencing triggered him to drink greater than he ever had earlier than, including that “shameful” social media posts he made main as much as January 6 had been “a product of stress, alcohol abuse, and submersion in deep ‘rabbit holes’ of election conspiracy concept.”
“I sat round at night time ingesting an excessive amount of and reacting to articles and websites given to me by Fb algorythms [sic],” he wrote. “The consequence was shameful and by no means indicative of the individual I’m, or have ever been.”
Robertson additionally mentioned that whereas he would not dispute his actions that day, he didn’t go to DC meaning to disrupt Congress and that he had no intent to make use of his “strolling stick” as a weapon.
In a courtroom submitting accompanying the letter, Robertson’s lawyer requested a sentence of 15 months.
“Mr. Robertson, like many Individuals, believed the President of america was telling him that the election was stolen. He had by no means been political earlier than, however the President was bolstering that the election was stolen, and given his way of thinking on the time, he believed it,” the submitting mentioned.
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