Kevin Seefried, the man who proudly stormed the Capitol carrying a Confederate flag, was handed a three-year prison sentence on Thursday. The 53 year-old from Delaware faced five charges after he was captured in several photos boldly toting the offensive flag. Trump-appointed U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden told Seefried that using the flagpole to assault Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman, who is Black, and even bringing it at all was “shocking” and “outrageous.” “I hope you realize how offensive it is,” McFadden said. Seefried apologized for his mistakes, saying “I thought that standing there and using my voice was protected under freedom of speech, but I know I crossed the line. I never wanted to send a message of hate.” His lawyers said in a sentencing memo that he brought the flag “as a symbol of protest,” insisting he now “completely understands the harm he has caused.”
