On Friday, a former Marine who participated in storming the U.S. Capitol and was seen making a Nazi salute in front of the building was sentenced to almost five years in prison.
During the Jan. 6, 2021, attack by then-President Donald Trump’s supporters, Tyler Bradley Dykes, an active-duty Marine from South Carolina, grabbed a police riot shield from two officers and used it to push through police lines.
In April, Dykes admitted to assault charges and had a prior conviction related to the 2017 white nationalist Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. After serving a six-month sentence in state prison, he was moved to federal custody in 2023.
According to the Justice Department, Dykes, aged 26, has been sentenced to four years and nine months of imprisonment by U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell.
Dykes was facing a recommended prison sentence of five years and three months, as suggested by federal prosecutors.
According to prosecutors, the individual was directly involved in some of the most violent acts on the east front of the Capitol.
According to Dykes’ attorneys, they have requested a two-year prison sentence for their client. They further added that Dykes is well aware of the fact that his actions on January 6 were completely illegal, indefensible, and intolerable.
According to his lawyers, Tyler harbors deep regret for his participation in the Capitol riot. He takes full accountability for his actions and apologizes for them.
When he was 22 years old, Dykes made his way to Washington, D.C. to attend the “Stop the Steal” rally organized by the Republican party and held by Trump. Accompanied by two friends from Bluffton, South Carolina, he eventually separated from them and started to pull down snow fencing and move bicycle rack barricades as he approached the Capitol building.
Dykes later joined fellow rioters in forcefully breaking through a line of police officers who were guarding the stairs that led to the East Rotunda Doors of the Capitol building.
According to prosecutors, Dykes celebrated his achievement by performing what seemed to be the Sieg Heil salute after reaching the top of the stairs.
According to prosecutors, Dykes entered the Capitol after taking the riot shield from two officers. He raised one hand in celebration while holding the shield in the other hand. He also used the shield to attack police officers within the building, which caused them to retreat down a hallway.
After departing from the Capitol, Dykes handed over the shield to an officer.
Although Dykes has denied performing a Nazi salute on Jan. 6, prosecutors have claimed that a video shows him making an open-handed gesture that resembles one.
The victims of the ‘Unite the Right’ rally will receive more than $2 million from the groups involved in the event. Watch the video for more information.
Victims of the ‘Unite the Right’ rally in Charlottesville will receive more than $2 million in compensation from various groups involved in the event.
During the march in March 2023, Dykes found himself under arrest for charges relating to the event. Ultimately, he plead guilty to a felony charge of burning an object with the intent to intimidate.
After completing a brief stint at Cornell University in the fall of 2017, Dykes decided to join the Marine Corps. However, in May of 2023, he was discharged from the military under “other than honorable” conditions.
According to prosecutors, Dykes’ actions on January 6th indicated that instead of upholding his oath to safeguard and preserve the Constitution, he was more inclined towards breaking it.
Over 1,400 individuals have faced federal charges in connection with the Capitol riot. Out of those, approximately 900 have already received sentences, with around 66% of them being sentenced to imprisonment spanning from a few days to as long as 22 years.