Factcheck: Are black Capitol Building rioters being treated more harshly than the white ones?

Two black men have been arrested for rioting, were they treated more harshly than others?

Thousands of people on social media are alleging that a black capitol rioter, who was denied bond, is proof that blacks are treated more harshly than whites by the criminal justice system. Dozens of websites, including Yahoo News, are amplifying this claim.

At least two of the 90+ people charged by the Federal government, over the Capitol Building riot, are black.

John Sullivan now faces multiple criminal charges in Utah for the event last June and new Federal charges for his role in the Capitol riot. His federal charges include knowingly entering a restricted area, violent entry, disorderly conduct and interfering with law enforcement.

John Sullivan

Sullivan was arrested on January 14th and released the very next day, January 15th, without bail.

The second black suspect arrested is Emanuel Jackson of Maryland. He is the subject of the alleged proof that blacks are being treated more harshly for the same crime than white people are.

Jackson was photographed and videotaped with a metal baseball bat. In one picture he appears to be bashing a police officer with this bat. He has been charged with assaulting a police officer with a deadly weapon, a major felony. He has also been charged with various misdemeanors for entering the Capitol Building through a broken window.

Emanuel Jackson

The fact that Jackson brought a metal baseball bat to a political rally can make the charges even more severe, since this can be evidence of pre-meditation. Also, some media outlets are claiming Jackson is homeless. This is another reason that a judge may have denied bail because a homeless person is more likely to leave town.

Jackson appears to be one of the top two people charged with the most serious acts of violence. Robert Sanford, of Pennsylvania, is a white man who hurled a fire extinguisher that impacted multiple police officers, some of them in the head. Sanford and Jackson have both been denied bail.

When we look at the two black suspects, what they were charged with, and how they have been treated so far. There is zero evidence that they have been treated more harshly because they are black.

John Sullivan, who is not accused of an act of violence against another person, was released in one day on his own recognizance. Emanuel Jackson, who is accused of one of the most extreme acts of violence against other people, was denied bail.

Numerous white suspects have been denied bond who are not accused of physically attacking anyone or destroying property.

Many people who claim that Jackson being denied bail is evidence of a vast anti-black conspiracy do not appear to be making this claim in good faith. Many simply do not like white people and are making this claim to fan the flames of anti-white bigotry.


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