Thomas Webster

A supporter of then-President Trump, Tom was shocked by what he saw. Like millions of other

    Americans watching the TVnews coverage,the suddenly shifting results and irregularities of the election outraged him.Sensing a threat to       the integrity of the nation he had spent decades serving and protecting,hefelt compelled toattend his first-ever political rally.“There was          one last chance to maybe set things right, I guess is the way to put it,” he said. “I just wanted to go down there and show the support.”             On January 6, 2021, Tomjoined the over 200,000Americans who gathered at the Capitol Mall for the “Stop the Steal” rally in Washington,         D.C.  He cheered along with the crowd afterPresident Trump proclaimed, “I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the             Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.”

After the speech, Tomproudly held up his Marine Corps flag as he marched up Pennsylvania Avenue.By the time he arrived at Capitol Hill, earlier crowds of protestors had already removed several lines of barriers surrounding the area – including temporary fences dotted with “AREA CLOSED” signs. Officially, Capitol Hill was off-limits.But, like most of the tens of thousands of protestors on January 6th, Tomhad seen no indication that “the People’s House” was closed to the public that day.

By the time he reached the Western Terrace of the Capitol, Tomwas shocked by what he witnessed: a police blockadein front of the steps, with no public address system giving orders to the growing, massive crowd. Instead, without real warning, officers were throwing tear gas and other “less-lethal” grenades into the crowd, beating them back with batons, and dangerously firing rubber bullets at citizens from a high vantage point. He saw bleeding senior citizens, frightened children and people wounded by projectiles. He was glad that he’d worn his bulletproof vest under his jacket that day.

As a former member of the security detail for NYC Mayor Bloomberg, Tom knew better than most how these officers were breaking their own lawful policies for proper crowd control.Outraged at their treatment of American citizens, Tom moved to the front lines and got in the faces of a cluster of officers who werepositioned behind the bicycle rack barriers.

Like only a former NYPD officer could put it, he told them, “You’re gonna attack Americans?! C’mon, f____ that!”

Capitol surveillance footage clearly shows Metropolitan Police Officer Rathbun looking up at Tom’s flagpole, then reaching over the barrier and aggressively shoving Tom back multiple times in response to his First Amendment-protected words of protest. Frustrated by the officer’s initiation and escalation of physical contact, Tom shoved the bike rack back towards him.

In response, Officer Rathbun pulled back his gloved fist and punched Tom in the face.

At first stunned, Tom swung his flagpole down in self-defense, never hitting any police, but striking the bike rack, breaking off the top half of hisflagpole. As Tom warned Rathbun to stay back, the officerapparently stepped around the railing and wrenched the metal pole out of Tom’s grip.

Maybe because of what they were witnessing, someone shoved aside the barriers. Hundreds of protestors behind Tom surged forward. From Officer Rathbun’s bodycam footage, it appears that Tom is rushing forward to tackle him to the ground — but an objective camera’s footage shows one of the surging citizens placinghis hand on Tom’s back and shoving him forward, so that Tom fell into Rathbun.

Feeling forced to defend himself from the aggressive Metro cop, Tom engaged in a tug of war with him over the metal pole. The tussle ended up withboth men on the ground, Tom on top.As the officer struck him across the face with the metal pole, Tom never punched back, but tried to pull off the officer’s gas mask and helmet, the chin strap inadvertently choking him.As the crowd spilled past them, a few protestors kickedthe downed officer.Other nearby police separatedthe wrestling men.

Shortly afterwards, another protestor was taking a live videocast outside the Capitol building. On camera, Tom, clearly rattled by the experience, speaks directly to viewers:

 “Send more patriots. We need some help.”

After the traumatic events of that day, Tom returnedhome to his friends and family in New York.He had no idea thatthe U.S. Attorney’s Office and the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section were building a case against him.

Two months later, on February 22, 2021, Tom Webster was put in handcuffs and transported to Washington, D.C., where federal prosecutors charged him with 7 felonies, including Engaging in Physical Violence in a Restricted Building or Grounds with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon,and 1 misdemeanor.

Tom Webster pled “not guilty” to all but the misdemeanor charge ofAct of Physical Violence Within the Capitol Grounds or Buildings.

Detained for two months, he was eventually allowed a pretrial release. The decorated Marine returned home to his family in Goshen, NYwearing a GPS ankle monitor.

Over a year later, Tom was returned at age 47 to Washington, D.C. for his trial. Like every other J6er, his jury was drawn from a pool almost exclusively composed of D.C. government workers, news media employees and other registered Democrats.

Federal prosecutors held back the exculpatory, non-bodycam video footage, only sharing it with Tom’s defense attorneys a week before the trial. None of the footage showing Officer Rathbun’s initiation and escalation of violence was shown to the public. Mainstream news media ran headlines about the trial such as “Veteran NYPD officer intends to claim self-defense against charges he repeatedly beat DC Police with a metal pole.”

 On May 2, 2022, after three hours of deliberation, the jury rendered a verdict of “guilty” as to Counts 1-6, all of them felonies.

Tomand his family were stunned as the judge sentenced him to 10 yearsof incarceration, a Special Assessment of $510 and Restitution in the amount of $2,060.

Back in Goshen, NY, a neighbor of Tom’s once said, “Tom was the kind of neighbor who would come over and snow blow your driveway and you didn’t know who did it.”

Today, Tom Webster’s only neighbors are fellow prison inmates. Once alauded law officer, he’s nowliving far from his family, behind razor wire in Texas, inside a federal institution.His release date is December 15, 2030.

Please consider contributingto Tom’smealand other commissary expenses via this link, using his prisoner number (31135-509):