Pensacola man who 'reigned terror on the police ...' in Jan. 6 riots sentenced to 5 years

A Pensacola man was sentenced to five years in federal prison Friday for his role in the Capitol breach on Jan. 6, 2021.

Tristan Chandler Stevens, 27, was among the thousands of rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol in the aftermath of a "Stop the Steal" rally that promoted false theories the 2020 presidential election had been "stolen."

In a bench trial before a U.S. district judge last year, Stevens was convicted on nine charges related to the Capitol breach including four felony counts of aiding or abetting or assaulting, resisting or impeding law enforcement officers; one felony count of interfering with a law enforcement officer during a civil disorder; and one misdemeanor count of committing an act of violence in the Capitol building or grounds.

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Pensacola native sentenced to federal prison for Jan. 6 Capitol breach actions

Stevens was one of the leading figures in a group of rioters that for more than 90 minutes tried to overpower officers guarding the entrance to the Lower West Terrace Tunnel and force their way into the Capitol building, according to federal prosecutors.

"He used his body as he physically pushed in coordination with other rioters in an attempt to create a collective force that would overcome the resistance of the outnumbered officers," a sentencing memorandum from the U.S. Attorney's Office states.

"He used his hands and his voice as he counted down so that the rioters could push in unison after he realized that uncoordinated efforts were bound to be unsuccessful. He used a stolen police shield when he realized he needed a bigger surface area to pin officers during the battle in attempt to break through them. And he attempted to grab a baton from an officer after he realized that his body weight and the force of the shield were not enough to break through the police line."

During Stevens’ joint trial with multiple codefendants, several officers described their experiences in the tunnel. Among them was former Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell, who was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his service during the tunnel siege and who has testified to Congress denouncing the assault.

“It was claustrophobic. It was brutal. We (had) the mob yelling, screaming, chanting, the fire alarm going off, the sprinklers going off, the pepper spray, the bear spray, the WD-40 spray, the firecrackers being thrown at us, the weapons that they used, flagpoles, the heave-ho push movement, back and forth,” Gonell recalled in his testimony.

Gonell testified that he had been "pinned by Stevens’ shield and unable to defend himself," according to prosecutors."

The U.S. Attorney's Office requested that Stevens be sentenced to 78 months of incarceration and three years of supervised release.

"Stevens and his fellow rioters reigned terror on the police officers inside the LWT Tunnel," prosecutors wrote. "His own assaultive conduct and his direction to other rioters directly endangered officers inside the LWT Tunnel and heightened the danger to all officers, more than a hundred of whom were injured on January 6, 2021."

Defense attorneys for Stevens had sought a sentence in the range at or below 18 to 24 months of imprisonment, citing the Stevens had been on pretrial supervision for 25 months with no violations, that he had no prior criminal history and that the conviction would already serve to impede Stevens' ability to find future employment and opportunities.

"The collateral consequences of this conviction are significant to Mr. Stevens and serve to deter him from ever again interfering with police," Stevens' attorney Lauren Cobb wrote.

Judge Trevor N. McFadden ultimately sentenced Stevens to 60 months of incarceration, 24 months of supervised release and $2,000 in restitution.

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According to the U.S. Department of Justice, as of March 6, 2023, more than 999 defendants have been arrested nationwide in connection with the Capitol breach. Approximately518individuals have pleaded guilty to a variety of federal charges and 53individuals have been found guilty at contested trials.

Approximately 420federal defendants have had their cases adjudicated and received sentences for their criminal activity.

In November, another Pensacola man, Jesus Rivera, was sentenced to eight months in federal prison and 12 months of supervised release for his role in the Capitol riots. His charges included remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; knowingly engaging in disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds with intent to impede government business or official functions; and engaging in disorderly or disruptive conduct on Capitol buildings or grounds.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola man Tristan Stevens sentenced in Jan. 6 Capitol riot arrest