Thomas Webster, a Marine veteran who spent 20 years with NYPD, was the first Capitol riot defendant to be tried on an assault charge and the first to present a jury with a self-defense argument.
Marine Corps. veteran Thomas Webster, whose trial on an assault charge started this week, claims he was acting in self-defense when he tackled Metropolitan Police Department officer Noah Rathbun outside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
A retired New York Police Department officer had been accused of using a flagpole to attack a US Capitol officer on January 6, during the riot in Washington DC. The former cop is now facing charges for participating in the deadly riot.
According to the federal prosecutors, the alleged accused, Thomas Webster, wore a bulletproof vest during the riot. They alleged Tuesday, February 23 in court that he was prepared for armed conflict inside the federal building.
The prosecutors also said that Webster attacked the Capitol officer using a flagpole and pulled down the victim s mask, causing him to choke. They told the court that the pole was flying a Marine Corps flag.