Former police chief sentenced to 11 years for involvement in January 6 Capitol attack

By Jalen Beckford, CNN

(CNN) — A former California police chief who brought a hatchet to the Capitol on January 6, 2021, and gave prior speeches calling for the execution of his perceived political enemies, was sentenced to 11 years in prison Thursday.

Alan Hostetter, 59, was sentenced to 135 months – a little over 11 years – Thursday by US District Judge Royce C. Lamberth, for his involvement in the Capitol riot.

In July, Hostetter was found guilty of conspiring to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of an official proceeding, entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon, and disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon.

Prior to the Capitol riots, the retired La Habra police chief spread several conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election, according to a release from the Justice Department.

Hostetter co-sponsored a pro-Trump rally a day before the Capitol riot spewing violent rhetoric in speeches in DC on January 5. The next day, Hostetter brought tactical gear, a helmet, hatches, knives, stun batons, pepper spray and other gear to the Capitol, according to the Department of Justice.

Upon arrival, he met up with other members of a group known as the “DC Brigade,” before joining the “Stop the Steal” rally. He later made his way to the Capitol building, where he joined other rioters pushing through law enforcement.

Hostetter was arrested on June 10, 2021, in California by the FBI.

Four of his co-defendants were convicted in November of conspiring to obstruct an official proceeding and a fifth co-defendant, Russell Taylor, previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to obstruct an official proceeding, according to the release.

CNN’s Paul Murphy and Marshall Cohen contributed to this report.

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