Capitol Rioter Arrested for Burglary After Receiving Pardon from Donald Trump
A Capitol rioter who attacked police on January 6, 2021, and smashed the glass that fellow rioter Ashli Babbitt crawled through before she was shot and killed, has been arrested again, this time for theft. Zachary J Alam, 33, a resident of Centreville, has been accused of breaking into a home in Virginia while the residents were still present.
According to The Washington Post, Alam was arrested on May 9 by Henrico County police in a neighborhood just east of Richmond, the Virginia state capital. The residents of the home claimed that a man they did not know broke into their home through a back door and took several of their belongings.
Alam has prior convictions, including auto theft, fleeing the scene of an accident, petty larceny, and drunk driving, according to state officials. He was sentenced to an eight-year prison term after being convicted on seven felonies and three misdemeanours, including assault of police officers and obstructing police during a civil disorder.
As reported by The Independent previously, Alam was one of the first Capitol riot convicts to face new charges after receiving a pardon from President Donald Trump at the start of his second term. Alam demanded a pardon and reparations for the time he spent in prison, stating, "I will not accept a second-class pardon. I want a full pardon with all the benefits that come with it, including full compensation."
U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich noted Alam’s "lack of remorse" for his crimes when passing down his sentence. "The actions of Mr. Alam on Jan. 6 were among the most violent and aggressive of the Jan. 6 defendants," she said. "He was by far the loudest, the most combative and the most violent of the Jan. 6 rioters."
During the riot, Alam broke an interior window using a helmet, allowing fellow rioter Babbitt to climb through the opening, where she was shot and killed by a Capitol police officer. While the shooting was ruled justified, Babbitt’s family sued and reportedly received a $5 million settlement from the government.
Alam insisted he thought he was "saving the country" by trying to disrupt the nation’s democratic power transfer. "I know that breaking windows is against the law," Alam said during his sentencing. "But I believed in my heart I was doing the right thing. Sometimes you have to break the rules to do what’s right. … Some J6ers did violence, but only because they thought they were saving the country in the process."
Prosecutors are seeking a lengthy prison sentence for Alam due to his prior convictions, including his Capitol riot conviction, and his role in the attack. As The Independent previously reported, other Capitol riot convicts have had run-ins with the law since their pardons.
In a similar case, Matthew Huttle, one of the Capitol riot defendants, was pulled over six days after Trump’s mass clemency and refused to comply with the orders of a Jasper County sheriff’s deputy, resulting in a fatal confrontation. A loaded handgun was found in Huttle’s vehicle.
The incident highlights the ongoing concerns about the actions of individuals involved in the Capitol riot and their potential for further violent or criminal behaviour. As Alam faces new charges, it remains to be seen what the consequences will be for his alleged actions.
Source: The Washington Post and The Independent
This article was originally published by The Independent, which can be found at: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/capitol-rioter-ashli-babbitt-arrested-burglary-b2754690.html.
The Independent contacted Henrico County Police regarding this article.
