Two Virginia police officers who snapped selfies at Capitol riot and boasted about it on social media are FIRED after being hit with federal charges
Two Virginia police officers who took a selfie of themselves inside the US Capitol building during the January 6 riot have been fired.
Sergeant Thomas Robertson, 47, and Officer Jacob Fracker, 29, were fired from their jobs with the Rocky Mount Police Department on Tuesday.
The town announced the termination in a statement saying: 'The actions by two have driven our beautiful town into the national spotlight in ways that do not reflect our whole community and the people who call Rocky Mount home.'
On January 13 Robertson and Fracker were charged in federal court with unlawful entry into a restricted area and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
They were off-duty during the riot and shared a photo of themselves on social media with one of them pointing and the other making an obscene gesture in front of a statue of John Stark, a general during the American Revolution.
Rocky Mount Police Sergeant Thomas Robertson, 47, and Officer Jacob Fracker, 29, were fired on Tuesday following a town review. They shared this photo of themselves inside the Capitol building during the January 6 Capitol siege in front of a statue of John Stark, a general during the American Revolution
They had been on unpaid leave from their jobs during a town review after they were implicated in the riot.
'We hear those who have communicated their anger and frustration about the actions of these individuals or our response to those actions. There is no playbook for dealing with what occurred on January 6,' town officials said in a press release.
Rocky Mount is located in Central Virginia and is home to about 1,000.
Town officials said they took the review seriously and decided to terminate the duo.
'Our officers are held to high standards for how they conduct themselves on and off-duty and we are proud of the dedication and sacrifice made to keeping our community safe. The process we have gone through reinforces how seriously we aim to uphold these standards and how important it is to communicate that the department works in the best interest of everyone’s safety,' they said.
Robertson, pictured on the day said he and Fracker went into the building at about 2 or 3pm
Army vet Robertson is said to have posted he was 'f***ing PROUD' of the selfie
Fracker in a now deleted post is said to have written: 'Lol to anyone who's possibly concerned about the picture of me going around... Sorry I hate freedom?'
On Facebook Robertson, an Army veteran, wrote he was 'proud' of the selfie he and Fracker, a corporal in the Virginia National Guard, took inside the Capitol building. Robertson previously served as a military policeman in the Army Reserve.
'It shows two men willing to actually put skin in the game and stand up for their rights….Enjoy your feel good protests and fame. I’ll simply accept a "Thank you" for the very blanket of freedom that you live and sleep under,' he wrote on Facebook.
In a screenshot of a Facebook post that was circulating on social media, Robertson allegedly wrote, '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***ing U.S. Capitol. Keep poking us.'
Fracker in a now deleted post is said to have written: 'Lol to anyone who's possibly concerned about the picture of me going around... Sorry I hate freedom? Sorry I fought hard for it and lost friends for it?
Robertson said he and Fracker went into the building at about 2 or 3pm and they were not aware at the time that the rally had turned violent. A view of the violent Capitol siege above on January 6
'Not like I did anything illegal, WAY too much to lose to go there but, ya'll do what you feel you need to lol.
'I can protest for what I believe in and still support your protest fro what you believe in. Just saying..after all, I fought for the right to do it…'
Five people were killed, including a Capitol Police officer and a Trump supporter.
Robertson said he and Fracker went into the building at about 2 or 3pm and they were not aware at the time that the rally had turned violent.
Robertson had told The Roanoke Times said he does not support the violence that happened inside the Capitol. 'Absolutely not,' he said. 'For it to go like that is absolutely ridiculous.'
'The Capitol building is as big as our town,' he said. 'Where I was at there was no violence. There was no fighting with police officers. The door was wide open and police officers were actually handing bottles of water out to people that came in.'
Fracker is seen in uniform from his days as a U.S. Marine. He is currently a police officer in Rocky Mount, Virginia and a corporal in the Virginia National Guard
Robertson pictured center in Rocky Mount Police uniform
According to the FBI warrant applications, Fracker sent a video to an unidentified friend on January 7 that showed him wearing a gas mask inside the Capitol.
'Turning the camera towards himself Fracker hits his chest multiple times. Fracker tells his Facebook friend, "S*** was wild lol I p****d in Nancy P’s toilet,"' the complaint said.
Fracker and Robertson were the first cops to be arrested for participating in the insurrection.
At least 31 law enforcement officers in 12 states are under review by their supervisors for their alleged involvement, or face criminal charges for participating in the riot, an Associated Press survey of law enforcement agencies found.