A Mathiston man has been sentenced to serve nine years in prison for assaulting a police officer during the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Thomas Smith, 45, was convicted by a jury of nine felonies and two misdemeanors on May 5, 2023, after he was seen entering Capitol grounds with the former Mississippi state flag.
According to court documents, Smith traveled toward the Lower West Terrace Tunnel and attempted to break a window near the tunnel’s entrance with the end of the flagpole. Authorities stated that Smith hit the window five times before pushing through a line of Metropolitan police officers who were keeping the doors to the Capitol closed.
Smith then exited the tunnel, later taking a photo with his cousin, Donnie Wren, 44, of Athens, Ala. near the Lower West Terrace. The two climbed the railing of the Upper West Terrace before running into a line of officers with riot shields that were clearing out those participating in the insurrection.
Smith was seen kicking an officer with the Metropolitan Police Department in the back, as well as hitting two officers in the head with a metal object. After the initial nine years, he will be on supervised release for three years.
Wren — who was charged with two felonies and one misdemeanor — has been sentenced to serve one year and one day in prison. He is also facing two years of supervised release.
