As investigators seek to identify rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol, police departments in Virginia and Washington state have placed officers on leave as authorities examine whether they took part in unlawful acts while off-duty.
The police department in the small town of Rocky Mount, Virginia, said on Sunday it had placed two officers on administrative leave after it learned they attended an “event” in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday while off-duty.
“The Town of Rocky Mount fully supports all lawful expressions of freedom of speech and assembly by its employees but does not condone the unlawful acts that occurred that day,” the department said in a statement, saying it had notified federal authorities.
Seattle’s police department (SPD) said it also placed two officers on administrative leave while an investigation takes place, Reuters reports.
“If any SPD officers were directly involved in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, I will immediately terminate them,” the department’s interim chief, Adrian Diaz, said in a statement.
