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A Los Angeles police officer was ordered by LAPD chief Michel Moore to notify FBI agents of his presence at the pro-Trump rally that preceded the attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The unnamed officer told police officials he attended the large pro-Trump rally on the National Mall on Jan.6, where Trump spoke, but left “before any other activity and no ‘was involved in nothing that happened on Capitol Hill,’ Moore. said.
The officer said he was back at his accommodation in Washington when he saw on television that people had left the rally and stormed the Capitol, Moore said.
Moore pointed out that while simply attending the rally would be a 1st Amendment protected activity, any involvement in the attack on Capitol Hill would not and could expose an officer to criminal charges. A spokesperson for the department said the LAPD will cooperate with the FBI if further investigation of the officer is needed.
An FBI spokeswoman said the agency “will question anyone who provides information” about the rally organized by Trump and the attack on the Capitol building that followed. The information provided by the participants will not be discussed publicly, the spokesperson said.
After videos and photos of the assault on Capitol Hill showed many intruders dressed in military-style tactical gear, law enforcement and military officials wondered if any of their members were involved. Some have put members on leave while investigations are completed. A city in Virginia has put two officers on leave.
The rally and attack brought together a wide range of Trump supporters, including white supremacists and other extremists. Urged on by Trump, many in the crowd hoped to prevent Congress from counting state electoral votes and confirming President-elect Joe Biden’s victory over Trump in November.
The crowd was fueled by baseless claims made for weeks by Trump that the election was somehow stolen from him. The claims have been repeatedly dismissed by state and federal courts as being without merit.
Moore said the attack on Capitol Hill was such a blatant attack on democracy that close scrutiny of those present was warranted. He said any LAPD officer who was there should “come forward, identify that he traveled and say what his activities were.”
“This event, this action against the Capitol of our nation and the sanctity of this democratic process interrupted by rioting crowds – if anyone in this department had a role to play in this, first of all, they must s ‘identify,’ Moore said.
Captain Stacy Spell, a spokesperson for the LAPD, said the agency “will cooperate with any investigation arising from any allegation of misconduct” related to the attack on Capitol Hill and its officers.
Moore said he told the department commanders whether any subordinates were in Washington.
The FBI is leading a nationwide manhunt for dozens of suspects already identified from images and videos on Capitol Hill. He also opened a homicide investigation in connection with the murder of Capitol Hill policeman Brian Sicknick, who died after being injured in the attack, law enforcement officials told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
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