Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell thinks the sentences handed down to Jan. 6 rioters are not harsh enough especially when compared to the recovery time for the physical and emotional trauma officers suffered that day.
“Their jail time is less than my recovery time,” Gonell told NPR. “The charges they’re getting do not compare to the mental and physical injuries some of the police officers, including myself, got.”
Gonell returned to work 10 months after the insurrection in an administration position. He is still recovering from an injured shoulder and is in therapy for anxiety related to January 6, according to NPR. He has requested a day off from work on January 6, 2022.
“A lot of the officers have in mind the possibility of this being a recurring annual or every four year thing, which is why officers like myself are being outspoken about it, because we don’t want to go through this again,” Gonell said.
More than 700 people has been charged in connection with the Jan. 6 riot. Robert Palmer, 54, of Largo, Florida who attacked officers on Jan. 6 with a fire extinguisher was given the longest sentence of five years.
