Son of wartime painter Gregory Gillespie, Gillespie claimed that he had a “pleasant and delightful” January 6.
The Associated Press reported on Friday that the son of a famous American painter had been convicted for participating in the demonstrations on the steps of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
A jury convicted 61-year-old Vincent Gillespie guilty on four counts, including assaulting, resisting, or obstructing officials; causing a civil disturbance; using physical force in a restricted building or on limited grounds; and committing an act of physical violence in the Capitol complex.
During the attacks, the A.P. interviewed the Athol, Massachusetts native; the resulting video was presented as evidence in his trial. Gillespie is red in the face and angry in the video, yet he still claims responsibility for the assaults while standing outside the Capitol. He was also dismayed that more who shared his views hadn’t converged on the Capitol.
“We were almost overwhelming them,” Gillespie, blood still fresh on his scalp, told the A.P. The outcome would have been different if another fifteen to twenty men had been pushing from behind.
Investigators reported that Gillespie was seen on Capitol security cameras and police body cams pushing, yelling at, and fighting with officers guarding the building. They say Gillespie stole a police shield from one of the cops and used it to smash the other cops.
The U.S. Department of Justice further claimed that Gillespie dragged a Metropolitan Police Department officer into the mob while yelling “traitor” and “treason.”
The trial started on Monday, and Gillespie testified in his defense. The jury deliberated on Thursday and Friday.
Niki Christoff, the 44-year-old forewoman of the jury, told the A.P. that Gillespie testified that January 6 was “pleasant and delightful.”
Christoff testified that “overwhelming” photographic and video evidence was presented against the guy and that the defendant’s testimony in his defense merely prolonged the jury’s deliberations.
After Gillespie and the others were attacked with chemical spray while trying to storm the Capitol by smashing through a window, onlookers saw him putting water in his eyes outside the building.
“While I was among a group of people, we pushed back and were met with blows and pepper spray in the face. However, a large crowd was pressing up on us from behind, “Gillespie revealed to the A.P.
He said that he hoped the people storming the building “would flood in so there was nothing they can do” and that they were “very (expletive) near” to getting through the doors.
“In my ideal world, they would act in this way. You should take control. Just take over. Have it for a few days on your own. I’m not a revolutionary, but you can’t ignore the results of this election. “In an apparent allusion to former President Donald Trump’s allegations that the election was stolen, Gillespie stated.
A former Athol, Massachusetts, a neighbor of Gillespie’s, and several town workers helped officials identify him. The Associated Press reports that six people have positively recognized him from riot photos.
Gregory Gillespie Sr., his father, was a prominent postwar American artist whose works may be seen in the collections of the Met, the Whitney, the MFA in Boston, and other institutions. His works include portraits of the artist, fantastical landscapes, and geometric abstractions.
The year 2000 marked Gregory Gillespie’s untimely passing.
On March 17, he will be sentenced. Nearly 900 individuals, including himself, were detained in almost all 50 states due to the Capitol protests.