A Jan. 6 prisoner who has gone on a hunger strike has already dropped 30 pounds.
In an emotional video and above, Larry Brock, Jr. begins his story with a heavy sigh.
“I have always believed in the American people, and I still do. So you need to understand that I cannot accept the decision of this court. It is the action of a hostile and illegitimate regime against an American Patriot. So what can I do? I refuse to take up weapons against you. I love you too much. I’ve offered my life for you, and that’s what I’m doing again. I will not eat a single meal as a political prisoner of this corrupt and illegitimate regime.”
Brock, a retired lieutenant colonel with the United States Air Force, was at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
On Jan. 8, 2021, he was indicted on six charges (pdf), including Obstruction of an Official Proceeding, one that carries a 20-year prison sentence. According to court documents (pdf), it was his ex-wife who called the FBI, saying she wasn’t surprised to see him in photos of the protests.
Brock was subsequently fired from his job. He was arrested in Texas on Jan. 10, 2021. Conditions for his release (pdf) were set for Jan. 14, 2021. According to reports, Brock was sentenced to two years in prison on March 18.
Why at the Capitol?
In a video, he explains in his own words his reason for being there at the Capitol, saying, “Our president asked us to be there.” He said the reason why he purchased personal protection equipment to wear was because he knew of instances where members of BLM and ANTIFA “had attacked Trump supporters,” and he wanted to “be personally safe.” By the time he arrived at the Capitol, all of the bike racks and barriers had been removed, and there were “about half a million people there.”