A court in the American South has delivered a collective sentence of 450 years to eight men convicted of orchestrating a violent riot that left a police officer dead. The men, described by prosecutors as jihadists, attacked an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in a coordinated assault last summer. The officer, a father of three, was beaten and stabbed as the mob breached the building's perimeter.
Families of the victims wept as the judge read the sentences, each man receiving between 45 and 60 years. The case has reignited debates about homegrown extremism and the safety of federal officers. Critics argue the sentences are a necessary deterrent.
Others question the term 'jihadist' and worry about the chilling effect on immigration protests. For the widow of the fallen officer, the verdict is 'a measure of justice, but my husband is still gone.' The men are expected to appeal.
