Two Virginia police officers, including an Army veteran and trained sniper, were arrested after they allegedly participated in the Capitol riot – and later boasted that it was legal on Facebook.
Jacob Fracker and Thomas Robertson, both officers at the Rocky Mount Police Department, were accused on Wednesday of intentionally entering or staying in a restricted building without legal authority, and of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, of according to a criminal complaint obtained by The Daily Beast.
Prosecutors allege that the two policemen, who were off duty when they traveled to DC, were photographed inside the Capitol “making an obscene statement in front of a statue of John Stark”. The photo was then posted on social media – where Robertson defended his actions and said he was “fucking proud” because he was “willing to put his skin on the game,” according to a criminal complaint.
“CNN and the left are crazy because we really attacked the government that is the problem and not just any small business … The right IN ONE DAY took the fucking US Capitol. Keep poking us, ”wrote Roberson.
In a now deleted Facebook post, Fracker also commented on people apparently concerned about the photo.
“Lol for anyone who is possibly worried about my picture walking around … Sorry, do I hate freedom? Sorry, I fought hard for it and lost friends for it? It is not as if I had done something illegal, much to lose to go there, but, you will do what you think you need, lol ”, he wrote. “I can protest what I believe and still support your protest against [sic] what do you believe. Just saying … after all, I fought for the right to do that … “
Local news identifies Robertson as an Army veteran who received training from Ranger and sniper and served five years, including 15 months in Iraq. He then worked as a private contractor in the Afghanistan Department of Defense to recruit and train local troops. It was in this capacity, the Franklin News Post reported that he suffered shrapnel injuries after a projectile exploded about 30 feet from where he was embedded with a platoon of the Afghan army and security forces.
A 2011 article on the local news site SWVAToday.com stated that, before working as a police officer in Rocky Mount, Robertson worked in the police force near Roanoke.
Public records show that Fracker joined the Rocky Mount police in 2018. The Daily Beast managed to discover only one individual by that name residing anywhere in the United States, and that it was in Rocky Mount, Virginia. A Jacob Fracker served as an expert on the Virginia National Guard, according to a video that his infantry battalion posted on Facebook, which shows him participating in training exercises in the desert. The Virginia National Guard confirmed to The Daily Beast that Fracker is an active corporal serving on the weekends, but could not confirm whether he was the policeman in question.
The complaint says Robertson also admitted that Newsweek that he and Fracker “sent the photo to their colleague from the police department and, after it leaked on social media, he published it again on his own Facebook page”. In an interview with ABC13, Robertson said the photo was taken as a joke to friends who were checking them out.
Robertson also insisted with several media outlets that the duo did nothing wrong and did not know about the violence, the complaint said. Robertson also said they were escorted into the building by the Capitol Police, who were given water and asked to stay in the protected areas.
“Robertson made these claims, despite his previous posts, that he ‘attacked the government’ and ‘took over **** Capitol’,” the complaint states. “In addition, at that date and time, the United States Capitol it was blocked and the presence of the defendants inside was without legal authority. ”
In a statement to The Daily Beast, the city of Rocky Mount confirmed that the two officers were accused by federal authorities in connection with the riot, but remain on “administrative leave” in the midst of an investigation.
Five deaths were associated with Wednesday’s violent riots. Four were pro-Trump protesters, including Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt, who was shot dead by a police officer after trying to break into the speaker’s lobby. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick was killed after allegedly being hit by a fire extinguisher by protesters.
On Monday, Capitol Police said “several” policemen were suspended for their behavior during the riot. Representative Tim Ryan (D-OH) told reporters that two policemen were suspended, one for taking a selfie with a hooligan. The other, he said, put on a MAGA hat and “started to target some people.”
“The Department has also been actively analyzing videos and other open source material from some USCP officers and officers who appear to be violating the Department’s policies and regulations,” Capitol Police said in a statement. “Our Professional Responsibility Office will investigate these behaviors for disciplinary actions, up to and including dismissal. Several USCP officers have already been suspended pending the outcome of their investigations. ”
Ryan also said that at least ten more police officers are under investigation, but did not provide further details. The chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee, which oversees the subcommittee that handles the investigation of the Capitol Police response, said on Monday that there was no evidence that the disturbances were part of a broader “internal job” or that the police deliberately cooperated or organized with the protesters.
Many local leaders are also punishing police officers who attended the January 6 event. A police officer from Anne Arundel County was suspended with payment on Monday awaiting an investigation into your involvement. His name has not been released, but the PD is investigating whether he committed any crime or violation of the agency.
A Los Angeles police officer was ordered by the LAPD to speak to the FBI about his presence at the rally, although he claims he left before it became violent, LAPD chief Michel Moore said on Tuesday.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio also threatened to fire any New York Police Department or prosecutor who was on Capitol Hill.
“Any New York City official, any part of the city government who participated in an attack on our democratic institutions, who participated in a Capitol insurrection, will be fired – period,” de Blasio said on Monday. The NYPD said Tuesday that it is working with the FBI after suggestions that some officers may have been on Capitol Hill.
The Philadelphia Police Department’s Internal Affairs unit is also investigating a detective, Jennifer Gugger, to determine whether she played a role in the turmoil. She was transferred from her role of vetoing potential recruits after posting deleted photos on Facebook from near the Washington Monument with the caption “#StopTheSteal Drinking beer with other patriots!”
A Kentucky state police officer was also transferred on Monday, pending an investigation into his presence in Washington with his family. The policeman told his superiors that he left before the crowd invaded the building.