WASHINGTON — A man who forcefully entered the U.S. Capitol and broke glass panels on a door just moments before a police officer shot another rioter attempting to pass through the opening received an eight-year prison sentence on Thursday.
Zachary Alam, one of the first individuals to be sentenced following the recent electoral success of President-elect Donald Trump—who has expressed intentions to pardon supporters involved in the January 6, 2021, Capitol incident—faced the repercussions of his actions.
In court, Alam expressed that he and other participants from January 6 should be granted what he termed a “pardon of patriotism.” He strongly asserted to U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich that he does not desire a “second-class pardon.”
“I want a full pardon with all the accompanying benefits, including compensation,” Alam stated. However, Judge Friedrich refrained from addressing his comments regarding a pardon, instead labeling him as one of the most aggressive rioters, detailing his “full-throttled attack” on democratic institutions.
“Such actions do not reflect patriotism. To conclude otherwise is misguided,” Friedrich remarked.
At the time of the January 6 siege, members of Congress and staff were sheltered in the House chamber when Alam wielded a helmet to breach the secured Speaker’s Lobby door. Tragically, Ashli Babbitt, a 35-year-old Air Force veteran from San Diego, was shot and killed by a police officer while attempting to climb through the broken glass.
Last year, a jury found Alam guilty of 10 counts, including a felony charge for obstructing the congressional certification process of President Joe Biden’s 2020 election win. Alam acknowledged his illegal conduct during the January 6 events.
“Yet, in my heart, I genuinely believed I was acting correctly,” he stated. “At times, breaking the rules is necessary to achieve what is right.”
Prosecutors had proposed a more severe prison sentence of 11 years and four months for Alam, who had attended the University of Virginia before withdrawing from the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine.
“Footage of Alam urging the mob to confront Congress members before escaping and then breaking windows protecting them was broadcast globally, rendering him infamous instantly,” prosecutors detailed in their court filing.
Defense attorney Steven Metcalf portrayed Alam as a troubled individual seeking belonging after facing rejection in his life. He argued for a lighter sentence of four years and nine months, claiming that the government’s recommendation was excessively harsh.
“In this case, Alam has become a controversial public figure, not due to his actions that day, but as a principal witness to the deadly incident involving Babbitt,” Metcalf explained.
Prior to the Capitol attack, Alam participated in then-President Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally, before joining the mob storming the Capitol. He helped fellow rioters scale barriers outside before entering through a broken window.
During his time inside the Capitol, Alam yelled profanities at police, embraced other rioters, attempted to kick down a hallway door, and even hurled a red velvet rope at officers from a balcony. He also participated in efforts to break into the House chamber, where the entrances were secured with furniture and protected by police.
Alam forcefully pushed past law enforcement, breaking three window panes on the doors of the Speaker’s Lobby. With the help of another rioter who handed him a helmet, he used it to smash the remaining glass pane.
As other rioters warned that police officers had aimed their weapons from behind the door, Alam continued his assault on the last pane. The situation escalated when an officer fatally shot Babbitt, who was unarmed, as she attempted to climb through the broken window.
The police officer involved in the shooting of Babbitt was later cleared of misconduct. This incident has prompted some supporters of the Capitol riots, including Trump, to frame Babbitt as a martyr.
To date, over 1,500 individuals have faced federal charges related to the Capitol riots. More than 1,000 have been convicted, with over 650 receiving prison sentences that range from a few days to 22 years.