8-year prison term sought for rioting former officer

Federal prosecutors are recommending an eight-year prison sentence for an off-duty Virginia police officer who was convicted by a jury of storming the U.S. Capitol to obstruct Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory.

Former Rocky Mount Police Sgt. Thomas Robertson used his law enforcement training to block police officers who were trying to protect the Capitol, prosecutors said in a court filing.

An eight-year prison sentence would be the longest among hundreds of Capitol riot cases.

U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper is scheduled to sentence Robertson on Thursday.