SALT LAKE CITY — A judge Monday sentenced a Utah man who became a face of the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol insurrection to three years in prison.
However, Landon Copeland, of Hildale, has already served about two years in jail awaiting trial and sentencing. Copeland will receive credit for that time.
Federal Judge Amit P. Mehta also sentenced Copeland to three years of supervised release. The first six months of that must be in home detention.
Almost a year ago, Copeland pleaded guilty to a felony count of assaulting, resisting or impeding officers with a dangerous weapon. The U.S. Department of Justice had asked Copeland be sentenced to 52 months in prison.
In what’s called a sentencing memo filed in federal court in Washington, prosecutors contended Copeland had shown no remorse for fighting with officers. The document describes Copeland pushing a rioter into a police officer.
When other police came to that officer’s aid, the Justice Department said, Copeland fought with them for up to two minutes. A few minutes later, Copeland joined another rioter in trying to wrestle from police a metal bike rack they were trying to use as a crowd control gate.
The memo says video from that day disproves Copeland’s contention he made to FOX 13 News during an interview two years ago – that police were aggressors that day and he was trying to protect people being injured by officers.
“Copeland put himself at the front of the crowd,” the memo says, “in a position to confront officers, and fight with them. Over the course of about five minutes, Copeland committed multiple assaults against multiple officers. Those assaults stemmed from hand-to-hand combat; essentially, they were part of a brawl.”
An Associated Press photographer captured a photo of Copeland wresting with police over the bike rack. The photo was sent to news outlets all over the world.
Copeland was dishonorably discharged from the Army after he was caught growing marijuana and has a handful of other arrests across the country. Prosecutors also cited that history in arguing for the prison sentence.
Copeland spent most of the last two years in the jail in Hurricane, Utah. A few weeks ago, he was transferred to a jail near Washington so he could attend his sentencing. Members of the public were able to call in and listen.
An earlier mental evaluation ordered by the federal court found Landon Copeland was fit to aid in his own defense.
Copeland’s sentence is the longest among the Utahns who have thus far been convicted in the Capitol riot. Seven others have pleaded guilty to non-violent misdemeanors.
Four other Utahns have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial.
