WASHINGTON — A U.S. Navy veteran who served during both the Vietnam War and Operating Iraqi Freedom was sentenced Monday to more than three years in prison Monday for striking an officer with an aluminum flagpole during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Douglas Harrington, 69, of Wyoming, was convicted in a bench trial in July of civil disorder and assaulting, resisting or impeding police, along with a number of misdemeanor offenses. D.C. District Chief Judge James Boasberg acquitted Harrington of several enhanced counts for using a dangerous weapon.
According to court documents, Harrington was upset about he results of the 2020 presidential election and began texting others about his belief that violence would be necessary to rectify it. Harrington flirted with the idea of joining the far-right Proud Boys – emailing the East Idaho chapter and even traveling to D.C. to attend the second “Million MAGA March” with them in December 2020 – but ultimately decided against it, according to a filing by his lawyers. But, prosecutors said, he did brag to others about participating in street violence with the group while in D.C.
Despite deciding against joining the Proud Boys, prosecutors said Harrington continued to prepare for violence in D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021. On Dec. 22, Harrington texted his girlfriend that he’d taken an oath to protect the Constitution from enemies foreign and domestic and that “THE ENEMY IS THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS BOTH HOUSES ALONG WITH THE SENATE AND TO THE DISGRACE SCOTUS.”
The same day, he wrote, “THESE COMMIES NEED TO PAY FOR THEIR HIGH CRUMES AND TREASONOUS ATTEMPTED COUP.”
On Jan. 1, 2021, five days before the riot, Harrington texted an associate that he was, “Getting my warriors gear ready.”
On Jan. 6, Harrington marched with other supporters of president-elect Donald Trump to the west side of the Capitol. There, according to text messages Harrington sent, he helped knock down fencing and then put on a painter’s respirator mask and goggles before engaging with police. Prosecutors said Harrington used an aluminum flagpole with strike at officers – hitting at least one officer in the wrist and on his helmet.
During a later scuffle, prosecutors say Harrington grabbed an officer’s baton and attempted to pull it away and then pushed on a police riot shield. Harrington remained on Capitol grounds for hours and only left when he was removed by police shortly before 6 p.m.
Prosecutors sought 96 months, or eight years, in prison for Harrington. They said that although Boasberg had acquitted Harrington of the more serious version of the assault charge for using a dangerous weapon, the judge should credit the testimony of an officer who suffered a wrist injury that a blow from Harrington’s flagpole was the only strike to the wrist he’d received that day.
Harrington was represented by the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the Central District of California, where he lived prior to moving to Wyoming. His attorneys Lisa LaBarre and Jake Crammer asked Boasberg to sentence him to 18 months in prison citing, among other things, his decades of service in the military.
Harrington enlisted in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War and was stationed on the aircraft carrier USS Midway from 1974-1979. He left the Navy with an honorable discharge, but later reenlisted in the Navy Reserves in 1992. Harrington served in the reserves for more than 20 years, including two deployments to Iraq in 2003 and 2005. During his service, Harrington received the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal in Vietnam, six Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals and a Seabee Combat Warfare Specialist insignia.
Boasberg ultimately sentenced Harrington to 40 months in prison, at the upper end of his guidelines range, and $2,000 in restitution. Harrington will also have to spend two years on supervised release after completing his prison term. Boasberg allowed Harrington to self-surrender at a date to be determined by the probation office.
In the 46 months since the attack on the U.S. Capitol, more than 1,500 defendants have now been charged. Nearly 1,200 have now pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial.