Thomas Smith

Thomas traveled from MS to Washington DC with his cousin, Donnie Wren, to stand with Trump on January 6 at the “March to Save America” rally. Thomas said they stayed for the entire rally and said he “never felt that kind of love in the air before. It was truly America in all her splendor.” As Trump finished his speech, Thomas and Donnie began to make their way toward the Capitol with thousands of other people and arrived at the West Side tunnel. As he was being pushed further into the breezeway, he witnessed protestors banging on a window from the inside, trying to get out. They were unintentionally trapped by other protestors who were crouched with their hands over their heads and could not hear the pleas for them to move. In an attempt to make them aware they needed to move, Thomas hit the window with his flagpole (without breaking it), which successfully got the people to start moving and freed the others. Thomas then turned around and exited the tunnel.

After reuniting with Donnie, they proceeded to the Upper West Terrace. Officer Anthony Roley told them they could stay as long as they were peaceful. While on the Upper West Terrace, people began screaming and running. As Thomas was attempting to help a man who had fallen, an officer struck him several times. After recovering, Thomas saw an officer strike another man who was still reeling from the impact of pepper spray. He reached out with his left foot and pushed the officer off balance, which stopped him from continuing to hit the protester. While bending down to help yet another injured and bloodied protester, Thomas was shot in the back with a rubber bullet by an officer. When he turned around and saw they were preparing to shoot him again, he grabbed a flagpole he saw lying on the ground and threw it at the officer. After these events, Thomas and Donnie left the Capitol grounds together.

The FBI raided Thomas’ home and arrested him at 5 am on the morning of October 6, 2021, with 20-30 agents in full SWAT gear with machine guns and armored vehicles. He was charged and pleaded guilty to 10 felony offenses.  The DOJ “stacks” misdemeanor charges then adds a legally tenuous (challenged at the Supreme Court) felony so they can upgrade misdemeanors with the purpose of maximizing the sentence.  These were: assaulting officers with a dangerous weapon; two counts of civil disorder; two counts of assaulting, impeding, or resisting officers; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; and engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds with a dangerous weapon, and obstruction of an official proceeding (this is the felony statute being challenged at the Supreme Court because it is part of a financial crime bill meant to felonize the shredding of documents.) In this case, Thomas was also charged with two misdemeanors: disorderly conduct in the Capitol grounds or buildings and an act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings. On May 5, 2023, Thomas was sentenced to 108 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton.

Although Thomas did not damage any property or injure anyone, he was given one of the longest sentences to date. He was not allowed to return home to say goodbye to his kids or parents. While in prison, his mother passed away without getting a chance to see her son again.

Thomas needs your prayers and support.