The police chief says he is prepared to “end them immediately.”
At least two Seattle police officers have been placed on leave and are being investigated for their alleged involvement in the U.S. Capitol protests.
Seattle police issued a statement Friday night saying they were made aware of officers’ involvement in the Jan. 6 siege on Friday and are now taking the necessary measures.
“The Department supports all legal expressions of freedom of speech through the First Amendment, but the violent mob and events that took place at the U.S. Capitol were illegal and led to the death of another police officer,” Chief Adrian Diaz said in the statement. said with reference to Brian Sicknick, who died from injuries he sustained during the attack.
Diaz said the case is now being reviewed by the Office of Police Liability.
“The OPA will investigate whether any SPD policy has been violated and whether any possible illegal activities should be referred for criminal investigation,” he said. “If SPD officers were directly involved in the uprising at the U.S. Capitol, I would end them immediately. While OPA is investigating, these officers were placed on administrative leave.”
This appears to be the first report from law enforcement outside the state involved in the violent pro-Trump protests.
The FBI is currently identifying those involved and has already made several arrests.
In a statement late Friday, FBI Assistant Director Steven M. D’Antuono said in a press release: ‘Just because you left the DC region, you can still expect a knock on the door if we find out that your part in criminal activities within the Capitol. In short – the FBI spares no resources in this investigation. ‘