Rioter Who Filmed Babbitt Shooting Gets Six Years

April 27, 2024 Crime, Trump cultists

Washington DC’s CBS affiliate reports:

A federal judge sentenced the Utah man who filmed the fatal shooting of Ashli Babbitt on Jan. 6, 2021, to six years in prison Friday for instigating the mob against police.

John Earle Sullivan, 29, was convicted in November of five felonies and two misdemeanor charges for obstructing the joint session of Congress, civil disorder and carrying a knife into the U.S. Capitol.

Sullivan, a former Olympic speed skating hopeful who rebranded himself as an activist in 2020 under the online moniker “Jayden X,” gambled at trial that he could convince a jury he was acting as a citizen journalist who put himself in harm’s way to document a historic moment.

From the Justice Department:



In the winter of 2020, Sullivan began advocating for a violent government dismantling. In one Instagram post, Sullivan wrote, “We will have live updates on the location for tonight’s purge. Spread the message. Let the electoral purge commence.”

On Jan. 2, 2021, Sullivan tweeted, “F— The System-Time To Burn It All Down,” with an accompanying still from a TikTok video of him burning an American flag.

Sullivan also made it clear he knew the significance of what would be occurring that day—both the certification and the rally. Sullivan made and posted a video explaining the details of the certification process. On Dec. 30, 2020, Sullivan wrote, “Definitely don’t surround his house…” with a photo of Senator Mitch McConnell.

On Jan. 6, 2021, Sullivan, fitted with a ballistic vest, gas mask, and bull horn, joined rioters storming the U.S. Capitol. Sullivan joined the crowd pushing through several police barriers on the west side of the Capitol grounds, using the bull horn to encourage others statements like “Get in that s—, let’s go! Move, Move, Move! Storm that s—!”

As Sullivan and the others approached the Capitol building, Sullivan can be heard in his video saying at various points: “There are so many people. Let’s go. This s— is ours! F— yeah,” “We accomplished this s—. We did this s— together. F— yeah!” “We are all a part of this f—ing history,” and “Let’s burn this s— down.”

At approximately 2:15 p.m., Sullivan entered the Capitol via a smashed window next to the broken Senate Wing Door and, once inside, roamed the building with other individuals who had unlawfully entered.

During an interaction with another, Sullivan can be heard in the video saying, “We gotta get this s— burned,” “It’s our house m—f—,” and “We are getting this s—.” In multiple locations, Sullivan ignored law enforcement commands to leave and told the officers to stand down so they would not get hurt.

At approximately 2:28 p.m., Sullivan joined the growing crowd outside the House of Representatives, working his way up to the front where he was stopped by Capitol Police. Members, staff, and press were present inside the House of Representatives during this time.

Sullivan encouraged other rioters, explaining he was “ready” because he had “been in so many riots.” When rioters told the crowd at the House Chamber door not to be violent and to be peaceful, Sullivan responded, “They don’t listen without that s—,” “F— that s—,” and later told the crowd to “pull that m-f—er out this b—.”

Sullivan told the other members of the crowd that he had a knife and held it up to the crowd outside the House Main Doors. The FBI would later determine that the knife was a Smith & Wesson M&P knife with a 3.74” blade.

After unsuccessful attempts to access the House floor, the crowd, including Sullivan, made their way to the Speaker’s Lobby, where the evacuation of the House floor was actively underway.

Sullivan, once again telling the mob he had a knife, positioned himself at the front of the Speaker’s Lobby crowd as the crowd began to break the doors’ glass windows.

Sullivan encouraged those attempting to break the windows to “Go, go. Let’s go. Get that s—!” After the windows were broken out, a woman climbed through, resulting in her being shot. Members, staff, and press were still present in the House gallery at this time.

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