Man on trial in Capitol riot case blames ‘rogue cop’
A retired New York City police officer charged with assaulting a police officer during the U.S. Capitol riot testified Thursday at his trial that he was trying to defend himself against a “rogue cop” who punched him in the face.
Thomas Webster, who took the witness stand on the third day of his federal trial, said it felt like he was hit with a hammer or a freight train when Metropolitan Police Department officer Noah Rathbun reached out with an open left hand and struck the right side of Webster’s face.
“It was painful, and I was seeing stars,” Webster said. “It was a hard hit, and all I wanted to do was defend myself.”