2 Virginia Police Officers Charged In Siege Of U.S. Capitol

WASHINGTON, DC — Two police officers from Rocky Mount, Virginia, are facing federal charges in connection with the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol by pro-Trump supporters, according to a U.S. Department of Justice release.

Jacob Fracker and Thomas Robertson were both off duty from their jobs as officers for the Rocky Mount Police Department when they entered the U.S. Capitol along with other rioters on Jan. 6, according to police. The pair were photographed in the Capitol building making an obscene gesture in front of a statue of American Revolutionary War Gen. John Stark.

Robertson told Newsweek that he and Fracker had sent the photo to police department colleagues and had reposted it to Facebook after it was leaked to social media, according to court documents.

The Rocky Mount Police Department notified federal authorities that Robertson and Fracker were at the Capitol, according to a report in The Roanoke Times. Both officers are currently on paid administrative leave.

Court documents state that Robertson said he was "proud" of the photo, which was posted on Instagram and shared on Facebook, because he was “willing to put skin in the game.”

Authorities say Fracker posted a Facebook comment that read: “Lol to anyone who’s possibly concerned about the picture of me going around... Sorry I hate freedom? …Not like I did anything illegal…y’all do what you feel you need to.” The post was later deleted.

Robertson is also reported to have said on social media: “CNN and the Left are just mad because we actually attacked the government who is the problem and not some random small business ... The right IN ONE DAY took the f***** U.S. Capitol. Keep poking us."

Robertson and Fracker were arrested Wednesday and charged in federal court with one count each of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Counterterrorism Section of the DOJ’s National Security Division are prosecuting these cases, with help from U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia. The FBI’s Washington Field Office and the U.S. Capitol Police are investigating these cases.

The Justice Department has made numerous arrests over the last week in connection with the Jan. 6 insurrection, including that of Aaron Mostofsky, the son of a judge in Brooklyn, New York; Jenny Cudd, a Texas florist who bragged about tearing down the doors of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office; and Robert B. Packer of Hampton Roads, who was photographed wearing a "Camp Auschwitz" sweatshirt at the Capitol.

Also see ...

• Federal Charges Filed As FBI Continues Capitol Riot Investigation
• How A Meme Helped Feds Link BK Judge's Son To Capitol Siege
• Florist Who Bragged About Entering Nancy Pelosi's Office Charged
• Virginia Man Wearing 'Camp Auschwitz' Sweatshirt Appears In Court