Posted in: Comics | Tagged: January 6th, original artwork

Comic Shop Owner, Art Restorer Sentenced to 3 Years Over Jan 6th Riots

Comic Store Owner & Art Restorer Robert Wayne Dennis has been Jailed For 3 Years over January 6th 2021 Riots at the Capitol.

Robert Wayne Dennis, a noted restorer of comic book artwork, and a well-regarded former comic book store owner, has been sentenced to three years for assaulting police during the riot on the 6th of January 2021 at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. Aged 63, living in Garland, North Texas, and the son of a police officer, he was found guilty of six counts in January and was sentenced last month. He was convicted of the felonies civil disorder, two counts of assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers, and three misdemeanour charges, including: engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; and acts of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings. As well as prison time he was ordered to repay $2000 in restitution and serve two years of supervised release.

The Dallas News reports that "Dennis was captured on police body cameras fighting with police officers trying to control the violent mob near the stairs to the Upper West Terrace, according to court records. The FBI said he threw punches at and tackled one of the officers trying to defend the Capitol building, that Dennis approached a line of Metropolitan Police officers who struggled to keep the mob away from the Capito, pointed at them and "appeared to place his hand" on one of the officers, before grabbing the officer's baton, knocking it out of his hand, taking the officer to the floor and "continued to roll and kick his legs towards officers" when other police intervened, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Nialah Ferrer who asked the judge to sentence Robert Wayne Dennis to more than five years in prison, saying "Dennis saw a line of police officers on January 6 trying to defend the Capitol and he chose to assault them… Dennis—unprovoked—grabbed an officer's baton and wrestled another officer to the ground, creating a terribly dangerous situation for the victim,. More than half a dozen officers were required to restrain Dennis as he kicked, fought, and resisted arrest."

The Star-Telegram states that "Metropolitan Police Department officers had formed a police line on top of a set of stairs to act as a barrier against the crowd and prevent further breaches at the Capitol building. At about 2:50 p.m., Dennis went up the stairs and assaulted the line of officers, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. One officer, identified in court documents as "Officer C.W.," attempted to use a baton to push him away. Dennis then attacked the officers again, engaging in a violent struggle with "Officer J.S." in which Dennis threw punches at him while he was on the ground."

In court, his attorney, Allen Orenberg filed in mitigation that Dennis "has had ample time to reflect on his mistakes, and he is deeply regretful" but also that  "No police officer was injured by Mr. Dennis. In contrast, Mr. Dennis was severely injured by police officers. He was unable to move any part of his body while numerous police officers continued to pin him to the ground and yelled in his ear."

FBI agents came to his home in July 2021 and Robert Wayne Dennis told them he drove to the rally because "he was waiting for the 'Kraken' to be released", telling agents God knew why he went to Washington, D.C. and that going was "a righteous thing to do,".

Robert Wayne Dennis, ran a comic book shop in Missouri in the 1990s out of college for two-and-a-half years, but is recently better known for restoration work on original comic book artwork. He had no previous criminal record.

"His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election," the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a news release.

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