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WASHINGTON: As investigators seek to identify the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol, police departments in Virginia and Washington have placed officers on leave while authorities examine whether they participated in illegal acts while they were Out of service.
The Florida and New York City fire departments have also said they informed federal authorities of allegations that some of their members may have been present when the mob stormed Capitol Hill when Congress met to certify the results. of the presidential elections of November 3.
The small town Rocky Mount, Virginia police department said on Sunday (January 10) that it had put two officers on administrative leave after learning they attended an “event” in Washington, DC on Wednesday while they were Out of service.
“The City of Rocky Mount fully supports all legal expressions of freedom of speech and assembly by its employees, but does not condone the illegal acts that occurred that day,” the department said in a statement, saying it had notified federal authorities.
Five people were killed, including a Capitol police officer, when supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol in an attempt to disrupt the formal recognition of Trump’s electoral defeat to Democrat Joe Biden.
READ: US Capitol Police Officer Who Died After Violent Assault ‘Loved His Job’
READ: More US Capitol Protesters In Viral Arrested Posts, Senator Urges Social Media Providers To Keep Data
Dozens of people have been criminally charged and the FBI has sought help from the public in identifying more participants.
The Seattle Police Department (SPD) said it also put two officers on administrative leave while an investigation is underway into any role they may have played in the chaos that unfolded on the other side of the country.
“If any SPD officer was directly involved in the insurrection on the United States Capitol, I will fire him immediately,” Acting Department Chief Adrián Díaz said in a statement.
The New York City Fire Department said it provided information to the FBI after receiving “anonymous allegations” that some of its members, active or retired, were present during the riots in the nation’s capital.
And in Florida, the Sanford Fire Department said it put one of its firefighters on administrative leave and was investigating after a photo and video appeared online that appeared to show him in the crowd.
On Saturday, a senior Democratic lawmaker called the Capitol the scene of a crime and urged mobile phone operators and social media companies to preserve all data related to the carnage.
