Crime & Safety

Capitol Riot: Suspended Officer Broke No Laws, Can Return To Work

A suspended officer did not break any laws at the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, Anne Arundel police said. That employee can now return to work.

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The Anne Arundel County Police Department said it suspended an officer Jan. 11 to investigate whether that person was involved in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. The agency reported no violations, and the officer can return to work.
The Anne Arundel County Police Department said it suspended an officer Jan. 11 to investigate whether that person was involved in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. The agency reported no violations, and the officer can return to work. (Jacob Baumgart/Patch)

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — A suspended police officer did not break any laws or departmental policies at the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, authorities announced Tuesday. The agency added that the employee can now return to work.

The Anne Arundel County Police Department said it suspended the accused employee with pay on Jan. 11 "pending an investigation into the Officer’s involvement at the U.S. Capitol." The agency's Office of Professional Standards led an internal investigation and found no violations, a news release noted.

Now-former President Donald Trump held a "Stop the Steal" rally in Washington, D.C., two weeks before the inauguration of President Joe Biden. Trump asserted debunked conspiracy theories that widespread voter fraud and ballot manipulation cost him the 2020 election.

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Several hundred attendees left the organized protest and broke into the Capitol. Their hourslong clash with police ended with five deaths.

Snopes explained that Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick died soon after the incident and that a medical examiner informed that he died of natural causes after multiple strokes. Insider reported that authorities arrested 500 people in the months after the siege.

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"The Anne Arundel County Police Department is committed to the highest level of ethical standards by its sworn and civilian members, whether on or off duty," the agency said in the release without identifying the officer. "The Anne Arundel County Police Department also supports all lawful expressions of freedom of speech and assembly."

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