Republicans have tried to whitewash the Capitol riot as a protest. Among their claims: The “protesters” weren’t armed.
Except they were. They had spears, clubs, and bear spray. Those are weapons. They threw boards, fire extinguishers, and metal barriers at police officers guarding the Capitol. And that’s not all; some had guns, too.
“Law enforcement leaders and agents who struggled to defend the Capitol have said that they perceived there to be far more insurrectionists carrying guns that day than can possibly be known or traced,” Mother Jones says (here).
One that was traced is a Taurus “Judge” revolver (see product review here). This 5-chamber handgun fires shotgun shells, and is effectively a sawed-off shotgun. It fell out of a rioter’s waistband during the melee and was picked up by a police officer.
It belonged to Mark Mazza, 56, an idiot who’s probably going to do time. He traveled from Indiana to overthrow our elected government. (He denies that, and claims he was only there to “talk to” Nancy Pelosi and tried to “stop the violence.” However, prosecutors say it’s clear he participated in the violence).
Mazza, like many other Capitol rioters, was caught with the help of his own social media uploads. He was arrested and is being held in jail without bail.
As for the gun, unable to retrieve it, he filed a police report after the riot claiming it was stolen from him at an Ohio casino on January 5, the day before the riot. In fact, he took it to the riot, and dropped it near the Capitol entrance during the mayhem that occurred there.
Insurrectionists probably really did take guns to the Capitol to protect themselves against imaginary “antifa” (another of the delusions implanted in their walnut-sized brains by rightwing social media). After all, they didn’t shoot any cops, Mike Pence, Nancy Pelosi, or other members of Congress.
Judges can take that into consideration when sentencing them. It might justify giving them 10 years in prison instead of 25 years.
It may be a difficult task for a Prosecutor to prove the fact the man took the weapon to the riot and dropped it there. [Edited comment.]
Mazza could try arguing it grew legs and walked there by itself.