A Haywood County man convicted in the deadly Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection is pleading his case in hopes of probation instead of jail time. The attorney for Lewis Easton Cantwell, of Waynesville, argued that his client helped an officer being beaten and shocked with a Taser while a rioter urged people to kill him with his own gun, and also cited early childhood trauma the 37 year old suffered, as factors that should lead to probation. Cantwell, a military veteran, who was the owner of a now closed kava and tea house in Jackson County, pleaded guilty in 2021 to charges stemming from his involvement in the violent attack that resulted in multiple deaths, including police officers. His sentencing is set for Dec. 6.
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