Houston policeman accused of entering the Capitol could face federal charges, Acevedo said

HOUSTON – Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said in remarks Wednesday that a Houston policeman attended Trump’s Washington rally in his own time, then ‘entered’ the US Capitol building last week.

An investigation is underway and Acevedo said he was “very confident” he will face federal charges. He is now on administrative leave, Acevedo said.

“There is no excuse for criminal activity, especially on the part of a police officer,” Acevedo said. “I can’t tell you the anger I feel at the thought of a policeman and other policemen thinking that they are going to storm the Capitol or members of the military or the secret service. And so our commitment here in the Houston area is always to the rule of law. And it saddens me to say that we have this one officer. And I want to announce it here because these are the facts. And I’m trying to relax on a Sunday night, got my email with me and a member of that community sent me a picture showing the officer doing anything, with a Trump flag, the face covered and the first thing I did I went on this person’s Facebook confirmed that it was one of our agents that was there. Keep in mind that everyone has the right to engage in First Amendment activity, but first I wanted to make sure that they didn’t go past that and do something illegal and I can tell you that there is a high probability that this individual is. accused of federal charges and rightly so.

Sources tell KPRC that the officer is Tam Dinh Pham. A source from KPRC 2 says he was relieved of his duties this morning.

Acevedo said Pham had 18 years of service with the department and no previous disciplinary issues. The chief said he traveled to Washington alone.

Police told Channel 2 Investigates they are also investigating several other people in the South Texas area for their alleged involvement in the attack on the U.S. Capitol. The source said none of those interviewed were members of the law enforcement agencies.

Potential criminal charges against people allegedly involved are expected to originate from Washington DC, as it is the hub of the massive investigation. However, local federal agencies provide support in the investigation process.

The HPD union said KPRC Pham’s resignation was expected on Thursday.

Acevedo said he learned that the officer may have been involved on Sunday and reported the information to the FBI and a joint investigation was initiated.

The chief said he gave the officer 48 hours notice to meet with him.

“Let’s see if he shows up,” Acevedo said. “There is no excuse (for this), especially from a policeman.”

KPRC 2 is working to get more information on this agent and will report what we know as soon as we can confirm it.

Acevedo made the remarks while answering questions about public safety ahead of planned or unscheduled assemblies in the city ahead of next week’s presidential inauguration.

Acevedo said there was no known threat to Houston or the county, but described the area as a “hotbed” of activity for right-wing nationalist and hate groups.

The chief said that at 6 a.m. on Friday officers would assume a modified “all hands on deck” posture in the area and officers will not be able to take additional days off until January 20. This posture will be reassessed after the inauguration.

The airports were particularly interesting. Acevedo said airports in the area will not become protest zones and will remain in a secure environment.

“If you start playing the fool, you will be asked to leave,” he said.

The department monitors social media and asks the public to report what they see to local authorities and the FBI.

“Don’t be dismissive,” Acevedo said. “Report it.”

This is a developing story.