Supporters of President Trump storm the United States Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington DC.
Evelyn Hockstein | The Washington Post | Getty Images
A U.S. Capitol police officer was arrested Friday for obstruction of justice charges related to his communication with a person criminally charged for participation in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot by Trump supporters.
The cop, Michael Riley, allegedly told the other person to delete Facebook posts and also deleted his own Facebook posts, according to a charging document.
Riley, who has served with the Capitol Police for nearly 25 years, is scheduled to appear today in U.S. District Court in Washington.
A Capitol Police spokesman said that Riley, who most recently worked as a K-9 technician, has been placed on administrative leave pending the resolution of his criminal case.
“Obstruction of Justice is a very serious allegation,” said Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger in a statement.
“The Department was notified about this investigation several weeks ago. Upon his arrest, the officer was placed on administrative leave pending the completion of the case,” Manger said. The USCP’s Office of Professional Responsibility will then open an administrative investigation.”
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