Tyler Bradley Dykes, a far-right extremist who previously served time for his involvement in the 2017 Charlottesville rally, has been sentenced to over four years in federal prison for assaulting officers with a stolen police shield during the January 6th Capitol attack. Despite denying that he gave a Sieg Heil salute during the attack, Judge Beryl Howell found an extensive pattern of extremist behavior in Dykes’ past and sentenced him to 57 months in prison.
During the sentencing hearing, Dykes expressed continued support for former President Donald Trump and did not distance himself from extremist ideologies. Prosecutors noted Dykes’ participation in a training for the neo-Nazi accelerationist group, The Base, and his previous conviction for white supremacist activities in Charlottesville.
Lt. R.R., a Capitol Police officer who faced off against Dykes during the Capitol attack, spoke about the trauma endured by officers at the hands of the pro-Trump mob. He described being assaulted by rioters with pipes, flag poles, and pepper spray, losing vision due to the attacks. Lt. R.R. expressed concern over the fragility of democracy and the rule of law in the face of violent extremism.
In a separate sentencing, Joseph Brody, a member of the far-right group America First, received 18 months in federal prison for his involvement in the Capitol attack. Judge Dabney Friedrich expressed concern over Brody’s lack of courage in going against the crowd during the attack. Brody, who worked as a paid campaign worker for Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, expressed regret for his actions on January 6th.
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