Florida Man Who Attacked Capitol Police With A Fire Extinguisher In Tears At Sentencing

Robert Palmer, a resident of Tampa, Florida, admitted in U.S. District Court on Monday that he was the man seen wearing a red, white and blue “Trump” jacket while attacking Capitol Police protecting the entrance to the Lower West Terrace of the US Capitol on January 6 with a fire extinguisher.

Palmer told U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan he was the one identified in Department of Justice images who threw a wooden plank at police, sprayed a fire extinguisher at officers until it was empty and then threw the empty canister at the line of police.

Before his court hearing, Palmer sobbed onto the shoulder of his defense attorney Bjorn Brunvand moments before the two men entered the court for him to plead guilty to felony assault on law enforcement.

Judge Chutkan has accepted Robert Scott Palmer's guilty plea, making him the 4th #CapitolRiot defendant to plead guilty to assaulting police on January 6. He faces a recommended sentence of 46-57 months in prison. Sentencing is set for December 7. @wusa9 @EricFlackTV pic.twitter.com/yn7KL3peBd

— Jordan Fischer (@JordanOnRecord) October 4, 2021

“That was Mr. Palmer being remorseful for what he did on January 6th,” Brunvand said in an interview leaving court. “And also, afraid of what’s to come.”

“Unfortunately, he did some things that he shouldn’t have done,” Brunvand said. “He knows he shouldn’t have done them, and those things will forever be part of the American history and he’s part of that.”

TEARS OF REGRET? Or what’s to come? Robert Palmer of Florida sobbed on his on his attorney’s shoulder before entering courtroom to plead guilty to assault on police during #CapitolRiots. There are 3 US Marshals here to take him into custody if judge orders. Faces years in prison pic.twitter.com/Uv7JtT3nvU

— Eric Flack (@EricFlackTV) October 4, 2021

Palmer was originally arrested in March by federal agents, in part with the help of Huffington Post investigators.

He now faces a recommended sentence of 47-56 months in prison or about four to four and a half years behind bars. As part of his plea agreement, Palmer was immediately taken into custody by US Marshals.