KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A member of the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department attended the Jan. 6 rally in Washington D.C., which preceded the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol.
The unidentified officer did not enter the Capitol during the riot, according to KCMO Mayor Quinton Lucas’ office.
KCPD Chief of Police Rick Smith informed Lucas this week “that a member of the police department attended the Jan. 6 rally in Washington D.C. that preceded a riot that breached the Capitol building,” a spokeswoman for the mayor said Tuesday in an email to 41 Action News.
Lucas said the officer did nothing unethical in exercising his constitutional rights, but stressed that KCPD members who are found to have broken the law should not remain on the force.
“All employees, including our police officers, have First Amendment rights — even when I find views repugnant,” Lucas said in a statement. “Any police officers engaged in law-breaking during the Capitol riot, however, should not wear the uniform in our community.”
KCPD said in a statement last week that it had not received information that any of its members "participated in any of the illegal activities" at the U.S. Capitol.
"We do not routinely track the off-duty travel plans of our employees," KCPD said in the statement, which was sent Friday and again on Tuesday in response to a request for comment. "We have a code of conduct that governs our employees’ actions both on and off duty. We are unaware of any of our members violating our policy or the law."
A mob of President Trump’s supporters, who were encouraged by the outgoing leader to march on the Capitol, overwhelmed Capitol police as Congress met to certify the President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory.
Five people died during the siege — Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick was killed by rioters, a San Diego woman was shot and killed by Capitol police as she tried to enter the House Chamber, and three people died from medical issues.
More than four dozen Capitol police officers were injured during the insurrection.
