A man from Florida, described by prosecutors as one of the most violent rioters during the U.S. Capitol attack, has been sentenced to five years in prison. Kenneth Bonawitz, a member of the far-right Proud Boys group in Miami, assaulted six police officers during the Capitol breach on January 6, 2021. He even grabbed one officer in a chokehold and injured another so badly that the officer had to retire, according to federal prosecutors.
Bonawitz, 58, from Pompano Beach, Florida, had an eight-inch knife on his hip, which the police took away from him after he attacked officers.
Assistant US Attorney Sean McCauley stated in a court document that “his violent, and repeated, assaults on multiple officers are among the worst attacks that occurred that day.”
U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb gave Bonawitz a five-year prison term, followed by three years of supervised release, as per court records.
The Justice Department suggested a prison sentence of five years and 11 months for Bonawitz, who got arrested last January. He admitted guilt in August to three crimes – one count of civil disorder and two counts of assaulting police.
Bonawitz traveled overnight by bus to Washington, D.C., which was arranged for Trump supporters attending the “Stop the Steal” rally near the White House on January 6.
Being among the first rioters to breach the Upper West Plaza after the crowd overwhelmed a police line on the north side, Bonawitz leaped off a stage set up for President Joe Biden’s inauguration. He tackled two Capitol police officers, causing serious injuries to Sgt. Federico Ruiz’s neck, shoulder, knees, and back.
In a letter to the judge, Ruiz stated, “I thought there was a strong chance I could die right there.”
Ruiz, who announced his retirement last month, claimed that Bonawitz’s injuries caused his career as a law enforcement officer to end too soon.
“Bonawitz has given me a life sentence of physical pain and discomfort, bodily injury and emotional insecurity as a direct result of his assault on me,” he wrote.
After the police took away his knife and let him go, Bonawitz attacked four more officers in just seven seconds. He grabbed one officer in a headlock and lifted her off the ground, choking her.
“Bonawitz’s attacks did not stop until (police) officers pushed him back into the crowd for a second time and deployed chemical agent to his face,” the prosecutor stated.
More than 100 police officers were hurt during the attack. Over 1,200 people have been charged with crimes related to the Capitol riot. Around 900 have admitted guilt or been found guilty after trials. Over 750 have been given sentences, and almost 500 of them received prison terms, according to information collected by The Associated Press.
Several leaders, members, and associates of the Proud Boys have been arrested for charges related to January 6. A jury found former Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio and three lieutenants guilty of seditious conspiracy for a failed plan to forcibly disrupt the peaceful transfer of presidential power from Trump to Biden after the 2020 election.
Bonawitz is not accused of coordinating his actions on January 6 with other Proud Boys. However, the prosecutor stated that he fully embraced their anti-government, extremist ideology when he attacked six law enforcement officers who were protecting the democratic process from a mob.
Bonawitz’s lawyers did not file a sentencing memo before the hearing on Wednesday. One of his attorneys did not immediately respond to emails and a phone call seeking comment.
