Andrew Williams, a firefighter paramedic at the Sanford Fire Department, appeared in federal court on Tuesday and was released on $ 25,000 signature bond, according to court documents.
Sanford Fire Department is investigating Williams’ involvement after the photo spread online. Fire Chief Craig Radzak confirmed that it was Williams in the photo and said Williams has been with the department as a firefighter paramedic since October 2016.
As one of the bail conditions, Williams must appear at all court proceedings. In addition, he may not possess firearms, ammunition or dangerous weapons and must hand in his passport by Friday.
From the federal court in Florida it appears that Williams’ case is being transferred to the District of Columbia.
Under the conditions, he may travel to DC, as necessary for the court appearance.
“The president and the Capitol police have encouraged contemptuous behavior,” Citro said outside court. “Mr Williams was not involved. In the complaint you will notice that there are no allegations that Mr Williams did any of these things.”
The Sanford Fire Department has suspended its investigation pending the outcome of the federal investigation, according to its statement.
“We keep the men and women in this department to the highest standards,” Chief Radzak said in the release. “It saddens me that the actions of one individual have hampered the hard work and dedication that the rest of the department puts in on a daily basis.”