Wisconsin man sentenced; Capitol insurrection in January 2021
Federal prosecutors say this image taken from publicly available video shows Riley Kasper at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia)
WASHINGTON - A Wisconsin man charged with assaulting law enforcement using a deadly or dangerous weapon during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, was sentenced on Tuesday, Feb. 6.
Riley Kasper, 25, of Pulaski, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 37 months in prison. The judge also ordered Kasper to serve 24 months of supervised release and to pay restitution of $2,000.
Kasper pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia on Sept. 15, 2023, to assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees.
According to a news release, Kasper’s actions were documented by body-worn cameras from the Metropolitan Police Department, open-source video, and Kasper’s own social media postings.
According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, starting at 1:50 p.m., Kasper sprayed an aerosol canister of bear spray toward law enforcement officers who were attempting to secure the Capitol building and grounds.
That day, Kasper also communicated on social media with another individual, declaring: "I pepper-sprayed 3 cops so bad they got undressed and went home, gently brazed [sic] many others several times. I basically organized my own little militia and we (expletive) took over Congress." He also wrote, "I mean the rest of the crowd gave support, but as you can see in that video it was my group that busted the first gate and kept chasing the cops down and pushing them back into the capital [sic]."
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
The next day, Kasper communicated with another individual on social media, stating, "You charge that line and start spraying, they start running for cover like you’re coming at them with an ak" and "there is definitely something satisfying about pepper spraying cops in riot gear and watching them run from you like a (expletive) even though they have face masks, billy clubs and full (expletive) body armor."
Kasper was arrested on March 16, 2023, in Ashland, Wisconsin.
After his arrest, Kasper was also recorded in a conversation from jail. In the conversation, Kasper described the image of himself holding the can of bear spray against officers as making him look "like a (expletive) (expletive)."