By Suzie Ziegler
ROCKY MOUNT, Va. — Two Virginia police officers have been charged with federal misdemeanors stemming from their presence inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. The officers posted photos to social media of themselves inside the Capitol, but say they didn’t participate in any violence.
According to The Roanoke Times, a federal arrest warrant unsealed Wednesday leveled charges against Officer Jacob Fracker and his supervisor, Sgt. Thomas “T.J.” Robertson. The warrant charges them with knowingly entering a restricted building without authority to do so, knowingly engaging in conduct that disrupts government business, and engaging in disruptive conduct in the Capitol in order to interfere with a session of Congress.
In previous interviews with The Roanoke Times, Robertson has said he and Fracker did nothing illegal, nor did they witness any violence.
The now-viral photo shows Robertson and Fracker posing in front of a statue of John Stark, a Revolutionary War officer known for coining the New Hampshire state motto, “Live free or die.”
A federal court hearing was scheduled at 4 p.m. Wednesday for Robertson and Fracker, according to The Roanoke Times. The two men are on paid administrative leave.
Law enforcement agencies across the country are investigating officers who were in D.C. during the Capitol siege to determine if they should face discipline.
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