Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz announced Monday that he will fire the two officers if an independent investigation reveals they breached the U.S. Capitol in the violent protest last week.
A member of SPD notified the department Thursday night of photos showing several SPD officers in D.C. on the day of the attack on the U.S. Capitol.
“I just was just thinking how horrified to watch our society and watch people literally storm the U.S. Capitol,” Diaz said.
>> 2 SPD officers in D.C. during riot at Capitol placed on leave
Diaz shared the photos with the Office of Police Accountability and placed the officers on administrative leave. He emphasized in the press conference that participating in a political event doesn’t violate any law or policy, but the nature of this protest necessitated a different response.
“The large number of people who forced their way into the Capitol, connected to the earlier political rally, presented too much of an unknown about whether any of our employees had potentially violated federal law. That is why I had to act,” Diaz said.
The police chief stated that if the OPA investigation finds any evidence the officers were directly involved, they will be fired and the information will be shared with federal officials.
“So if they were directly involved in the insurrection, and that is participating in actual altercations with the Capitol Hill police, then that is part of the federal violation of law,” he said.
SPD has been rocked by allegations of police brutality throughout the summer, with much of it coming from the sustained protests on Seattle’s own Capitol Hill.
So KIRO 7 asked people there if they agree with Diaz.
“I think that sounds just about right,” said Thomas Geffner, a Capitol Hill resident.
But Zoe Naimo, visiting from Portland, said Diaz should go further.
“I think they should fired for even being there,” Naimo insisted. “Absolutely, yeah. That was like a terrible disgrace to our country.”
Diaz seemed to indicate the officers likely will keep their jobs if they were just there to protest, which is their constitutional right.
Cox Media Group
