A Texas woman, Dana Jean Bell, was sentenced to 17 months in prison on Thursday for assaulting police officers during the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Bell’s sentencing is part of a wave of cases holding individuals accountable for their roles in the insurrection, even as former President Donald Trump continues to downplay the events of that day.
Prosecutors described Bell, then 62, as a particularly disruptive participant who engaged in “prolonged, abusive, and violent” actions against law enforcement, including Metropolitan Police Officer Jeffrey Smith, who later took his own life after sustaining injuries during the riot. The D.C. Police and Firefighters’ Retirement Relief Board determined that Smith’s brain trauma and concussions from the attack were the “sole and direct cause of his death.”
D.C. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly handed down Bell’s sentence, which fell short of the 27 months requested by the U.S. government. In addition to the prison term, Bell was ordered to serve three years of supervised release, pay $2,000 in restitution, and fulfill a mandatory $100 special assessment.
During the sentencing, the court reviewed videos showing Bell directing offensive gestures and obscenities toward officers. Officer Smith’s widow, Erin Smith, delivered a poignant victim impact statement, requesting the maximum sentence for Bell.
