The left image shows Clifford “Cliff” Mackrell, a Jan. 6 rioter, grabbing at an officer’s mask at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The right image is a still frame of Mackrell, captured by the FBI and included in court records.
A federal judge sentenced an Ohio man who violently assaulted police on Jan. 6, including two officers who testified before the congressional committee investigating the Capitol attack about their brutal near-death experiences that day, to 27 months, or slightly more than two years, in prison.
Clifford “Cliff” Mackrell, 23, was sentenced in a federal district court in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, almost two years after his initial arrest by the police.
“You did not simply stand by as an innocent bystander. Instead, you actively participated in the assault against law enforcement officers. Your presence in this courtroom is a direct result of your violent actions. It is important to understand that engaging in an insurrection is not a legitimate form of protest,” stated U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly during Mackrell’s hearing, as reported by CBS News.
Before his sentencing, Mackrell presented a letter of apology to the court.
“I deeply regret the harm I have caused to law enforcement officers,” he expressed with remorse. “It is important for me to acknowledge that my actions were inexcusable and went against the values of respect, civility, and adherence to the law that I believe in as a responsible member of society.”
Both Clifford Mackrell and his father, Michael Mackrell, made their way to the Capitol on January 6 and were later charged together in a revised indictment in March. They faced six charges but ultimately reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors on the charge of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers. In October 2023, Clifford’s father, who reportedly tackled five officers on January 6, pleaded guilty, as stated by the Justice Department. He is now awaiting sentencing.
When Jan. 6 arrived, Mackrell, a 19-year-old from Wellington, Ohio, set out from his home with his father. Accompanied by a gas mask, he embarked on the day as mentioned in his post-plea agreement statement of offense.
According to prosecutors, Clifford Mackrell actively participated in the riots by joining other protesters in pushing back barricades. This action caused the police to abandon their positions and retreat towards the Capitol, where they formed new lines of defense. In one instance, Mackrell was seen helping to push a piece of plywood towards a line of officers.
Mackrell’s father took immediate action when the plywood came crashing down, bravely pushing an officer to the ground as he confronted another.
According to court records, Mackrell was quite talkative about his actions at the Capitol the day after the riot. On January 7th, he shared a message on Facebook where he contemplated what could have occurred if individuals had weapons, even though some already had firearms and improvised weapons during the events.
The FBI has provided a transcript of Facebook messages sent by Clifford Mackrell on January 7, 2021.
Officer Daniel Hodges, who was attacked on that day, testified before the House Select Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol. It is worth mentioning that he also testified in Colorado where voters attempted, but ultimately failed, to disqualify Donald Trump from the ballot based on the insurrection clause of the Constitution.
According to Hodges, he took a stand on the west terrace of the Capitol to protect the country from the forces instigated by Donald Trump. After being present at the crowd gathering at the Ellipse, Hodges felt compelled to return to the Capitol. His main objective was to prevent the mob from reaching the elected officials present inside the building. In his own words, he stated, “I had to stop them.”
Once they arrived, Hodges described how the “insurrectionists managed to break through.”
In his impact statement to the court before sentencing, Hodges described the terrace as a site of numerous intense clashes between insurgents and the police, with the insurgents outnumbering the police by a ratio of at least 50 to 1.
You can see Clifford enduring attacks from my fellow officers who were attempting to free me from his assault. This shows how he knew how effective his attack was and how determined he was to make me out of the fight, one way or the other.
According to Hodges, the west terrace was primarily occupied by domestic terrorists.
According to court records from the Justice Department, Clifford Mackrell can be seen in a photograph actively pushing against officers at the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
After completing his prison sentence, Clifford Mackrell will be placed under three years of supervised release. Additionally, the court has imposed a $2,000 fine on him.
According to a recent update by the Justice Department on Wednesday, around 486 individuals have been charged with committing acts of assault, resistance, or obstruction against officers or employees. Furthermore, a total of 95 people have already pleaded guilty to felonies related to federal assault charges on law enforcement officers.
