Doctor receives 9 months in prison for hitting a police officer on the head during the attack on the US Capitol on January 6

Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee, told Starer: “You are a very educated person. A person with a lot of life experience. I cannot explain why you tried to penetrate the bowels of the Capitol like a heat-seeking missile.”

Starer apologized to the officer in court.

According to the Justice Department, Starer's sentence includes 24 months of probation and $4,000 in restitution and fines.

In total, she pleaded guilty to eight charges – two counts of obstructing law enforcement during a disturbance and two counts of assaulting, resisting or obstructing officers.

The Justice Department said in a statement that Starer made his way to the Capitol, entered through the East Rotunda doors and walked into the Rotunda, where officers had formed a police cordon to protect the west entrance of the Capitol Rotunda from a crowd of rioters near former Speaker Pelosi's office.

The statement said: “Starer moved through the crowd and to the front of the police line. Starer approached the officers, pushed against another rioter with her arms outstretched and pointed her finger in the direction of the officers. Starer then grabbed the rioter's arm with her arms outstretched and pushed it down. She then turned to face the rioter and was pushed back by an officer. Starer then punched the officer.”

The public prosecutor had demanded a prison sentence of two years and three months.

Bodycam footage from a DC Metropolitan Police officer showed Starer striking a police officer in the Capitol Rotunda, according to a Justice Department statement of facts filed in court.

Starer had been working as a practicing physician at Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital when she was arrested in December 2022. After the arrest, the hospital said Starer was “no longer employed” there.

The Justice Department said she attended the pro-Trump “Stop The Steal” rally in Washington, DC, which falsely claimed the 2020 presidential election was rigged.

According to a Justice Department court filing, officials observed her entering the U.S. Capitol with the pro-Trump mob on January 6, 2021.

Starer was caught on video striking a Metropolitan Police Department officer who was identified only by the initials “MB” on the left side of his head.