A Houston police officer, under investigation for being among the thousands who invaded the U.S. Capitol last week, was put on leave, officials said on Wednesday.
Police chief Art Acevado said the officer – an 18-year-old veteran – will face a disciplinary review on Friday. Acevado said he received a complaint on Sunday that a Houston official may have been in Washington for the protest on Wednesday against the victory of President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College, “which is the right of the First Amendment”.
But Acevedo said that after contacting the FBI, a joint investigation was launched, which determined that the officer also invaded the Capitol during the January 6 uprising.
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“It was determined that this individual really … entered the Capitol,” Acevedo told reporters. “There is no excuse for criminal activity, especially that of a police officer.”
Investigators believed that the officer traveled alone to Washington. He has no previous disciplinary problems, said the chief.
Acevedo did not identify the employee, but in an interview with the Houston Chronicle, Tam Pham confirmed that he was the officer. He refused to say whether he entered the Capitol.
“A lot happened that day,” Pham told the newspaper. “I was not in the right mind.”
Calls to Pham were not answered.
Acevedo said a resident emailed him a photo on Sunday night showing the policeman wrapped in a pro-Trump flag in Washington. The chief said he accessed the official’s Facebook page and confirmed that he was actually a Houston police officer.
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“I can’t tell you how angry I am at thinking of a policeman and other officers thinking they are going to invade the Capitol,” said Acevedo.
He is “highly confident” that the police officer will face federal charges.
Calls to the Houston police union were not immediately returned. Union chief Doug Griffith told the Chronicle that he expects the officer to resign on Thursday.
“I am very disappointed,” said Griffith. “If the allegations are true, he deserves to be penalized like anyone else would be. It is a crime. It was a crime to enter the Capitol – he needs to face punishment for that ”.
Acevedo said he would be surprised if the officer attended the disciplinary hearing.
“He has a date with me on Friday. Let’s see if he shows up,” he said.
He declined to disclose further details, citing the ongoing investigation.
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Several law enforcement agencies – including Las Vegas, New York and Maryland – started investigations after being notified of possible employee involvement in the riot.