Two Virginia police officers fired after taking part in Capitol mob

Two Virginia police officers were fired Tuesday for their involvement in the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Former officers Jacob Fracker and Thomas Robertson were terminated from the Rocky Mount Police Department after being arrested and charged earlier this month in connection to the U.S. Capitol breach. 

“It is not our policy to publicly discuss the details of personnel matters; however, the very public nature of this situation does warrant brief comment,” the Rocky Mount town government said in a statement.

“There is no playbook for dealing with what occurred on January 6. We have treated the process of review seriously from the beginning and thank those who contributed and in coordinating a response in a quick, objective and lawful manner,” the statement continued.

“We want to reinforce our commitment to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our citizens and business, and to upholding the law. 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.”

Fracker and Robertson were arrested two weeks ago after they were photographed off-duty inside the Capitol making an obscene gesture in front of the statue of John Stark. The two officers had been placed on administrative leave shortly before being arrested and an investigation was launched to look into their connection to the riot.

Robertson had admitted to Newsweek that he sent a photo of himself and Fracker to police department colleagues and he claimed on social media that he had done nothing illegal, according to a previously released complaint.

Both have been charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.

“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,” added the Rocky Mount government. “Our town is a patchwork of people rooted to and connected by their love for this area and that is where we want to focus moving forward.”