Feds seek 8-year prison term for officer who stormed Capitol

WASHINGTON D.C. (AP) - 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.

In a court filing Thursday, prosecutors say former Rocky Mount Police Sgt. Thomas Robertson used his law enforcement training to block police officers who were trying to protect the Capitol from a mob’s attack on Jan. 6, 2021.

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

An eight-year prison sentence would be the longest among hundreds of Capitol riot cases. The lengthiest so far is seven years and three months.