Mayor is told KCPD member was at Capitol on riot day; chief asks cops to self-report
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas was alerted by Police Chief Rick Smith 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.
The spokeswoman, Morgan Said, said Smith told Lucas the person did not enter the U.S. Capitol along with hundreds of angry supporters of President Donald Trump. It was not clear whether the department member was an officer or a civilian worker.
That news came days after Smith sent a department-wide email asking police officers to report if they were in Washington D.C. on Jan. 6.
In his email on Friday, Smith said law enforcement agencies across the country are under extreme scrutiny as a result of the attack on the Capitol. It became known soon after the riot that dozens of off-duty police officers from other cities and members of the military took part in the violence that killed five, including a police officer, and injured dozens.
Federal agents, including those in Kansas City, are investigating whether any sworn-officers were involved in illegal activity that took place inside the U.S. Capitol that day.
“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.”
On Tuesday a spokesman for the Kansas City Police Department said he could not comment on what Smith may have told Lucas.
Police spokesman Capt. David Jackson declined to say if any officer has reported if they attended the rally. Jackson said any responses about that would be considered a personnel matter which would not be publicly available information.
“We have a code of conduct that governs our employees actions both on and off-duty,” he said. “We are unaware of any of our members violating our policy or the law.”
The police department does not routinely track the off-duty travel plans of police officers and other department employees.
Smith’s email was prompted by discussions with federal authorities about concerns across the country following the events that occurred at the Capitol.
“KCPD recognizes the rights of all members of our community and our department to peacefully and lawfully participate in First Amendment activities,” Smith wrote. “Understand that a member’s presence in Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021, is not in any way itself a violation of policy.”
The email asked any officers who were there to report the information to their bureau. The police department has five bureaus: administration, executive services, investigations, patrol and professional development and research. The department counts 1,900 members.
Jackson said federal agencies have asked for the police department’s assistance with security for events surrounding Inauguration Day.
“I suspect they would not request that assistance if they had any information that our employees were involved in misconduct,” he said. “Further, I would offer to you the fact they have requested our assistance is a positive recognition for the KCPD.”
During the Jan. 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol, following the “Stop the Steal” rally, a violent mob of Trump supporters overpowered police and forced their way inside. Capitol police and Secret Service agents scurried away Vice President Mike Pence and top congressional leaders.
Rioters made their way into the House and Senate chambers, rifled through lawmakers’ desks and later ravaged the offices of several congressional representatives.
U.S. Capitol police officer Brian Sicknick, 42, died from injuries he sustained after he was hit in the head with a fire extinguisher while fighting protesters.
On Monday, U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison asked citizens to report any possible domestic terrorism in the days prior to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.
This story was originally published January 19, 2021 at 3:39 PM.
