Politics - News Analysis

MAGA Rioter Who Assaulted Officer Fanone Broke Down Crying When He Received Harsh Prison Sentence

One of the January 6 rioters who attacked Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone began crying during his sentencing hearing this week, Uproxx reports. Defendant Kyle Young was found guilty of restraining Fanone on the ground as the Capitol riot progressed while another rioter used a Taser Young had given him on the officer.

Fanone is understandably not sympathetic to Young’s plight. And I’m right there with him because this man suffered horribly and is still dealing with the fallout today, Mediaite reports.

“The assault irrevocably changed my life,” Fanone wrote in an op-ed for CNN. “I suffered a heart attack and a traumatic brain injury. I was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and I still struggle with PTSD nearly every day.”

“As an officer for the Metropolitan Police Department for two decades, I patrolled some of the most dangerous streets in Washington, D.C. I participated in more than 2000 arrests, mostly for dealing heroin, crack cocaine, or methamphetamine or for illegally carrying guns,” he wrote adding he’d been assaulted in his line of work numerous times.

But, he argued, “this case is different.”

While it must have been difficult for him, Fanone attended the hearing, saying that he hoped Young suffers in prison.”

Prosecutors recommended Young be sentenced to 86 months in prison for his assault on the officer, and that led Young to become tearful.

“I am so sorry,” he said. “And if I could take it back, I would.”

https://twitter.com/kyledcheney/status/1574825757095993344

Speaking to CNN after his court appearance, Fanone made it more than clear that he doesn’t care if Young rehabilitates himself. He just wants accountability for the actions that the violent mob perpetrated on police and others on Jan. 6.

“The time in and of itself didn’t really matter to me. What did matter to me is that Mr. Young did with that time, and like all the individuals who have been charged with assaulting me, the only thing I’m interested in seeing them do is suffer,” he told CNN’s Brianna Keilar.

“I’m not looking for apologies. I’m not looking for them to turn their lives around. If they want to do that, they can do that, that’s fine, but I want them to suffer just like I have,” he said.

Young’s not the only MAGA rioter to break down in tears in connection with the attack on Fanone. Last year, Danny Rodriguez, Young’s accomplice began crying after being questioned following his arrest.

“What do you want me to tell you? That I Tased him?” yes, a tearful Rodriguez told officials. “Am I a (naughty word) piece of (another naughty word)? Yes.”

I have said before that I’m not a huge fan of cops; this is largely because I suffered a harrowing incident with police when all I was doing was laying on my mom’s couch with the flu. A former boyfriend of our neighbor’s housekeeper had decided to climb the fence and pay her an unwelcome visit so she called the police. The boyfriend was over six feet tall and had curly blonde hair. I’m 5’7″ and had curly blonde hair. Despite the estimable difference one of the officers decided I was the fence climber in question. Despite the fact that even then I had rheumatoid arthritis and couldn’t climb a fence to save my life.

The one officer was especially keen on bringing me in for questioning which scared the hell out of me. The only reason they didn’t is that my family had connections to a famous attorney. That backed them off.

So yes, I’m scared of cops, but the Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police officers were doing their jobs. So I’m glad Young will have plenty of time to think about what he did.

Fanone ended up giving an interview to Don Lemon late Tuesday night and it was a toughie:

Listen to what Fanone has to deal with, all for doing his job:

meet the author

Nicole Hickman James is a lifelong Democrat and political activist who first cut her teeth as a teenager volunteering for Mike Dukakis’ presidential campaign. She has worked and volunteered for John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, HFA (Hillary For America), and Organizing For Action. She’s passionate about liberal and progressive causes and considers President Obama her favorite president ever. She holds her Bachelor’s from Boston College in Economics and her Master's from Columbia, also in Economics. When not working as a writer, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her three college-aged children.

Comments

Comments are currently closed.