Rocky Mount suspends 2 officers without pay over Capitol riot

by Elizabeth Thomas

Sat, January 23rd 2021, 5:09 PM UTC

A picture began to circulate on Facebook of the two Rocky Mount officers allegedly posing inside the United States Capitol. In the picture, one officer had his middle finger raised. (Credit: Facebook)

Sergeant Thomas Robertson confirmed that he and Officer Jacob Fracker shared the photo as a joke to let friends and family know that they were okay. (Credit:{ }Sergeant Thomas Robertson)

Sergeant Thomas Robertson said that they would never participate in any activity that put law enforcement officers in danger. (Credit: Sergeant Thomas Robertson)

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A picture began to circulate on Facebook of the two Rocky Mount officers allegedly posing inside the United States Capitol. In the picture, one officer had his middle finger raised. (Credit: Facebook)

ROCKY MOUNT, Va. (WSET) — Two police officers from Southwest Virginia have been suspended without pay over the investigation into their participation in the U.S. Capitol riots on January 6.

Rocky Mount police officers Thomas Robertson and Jacob Fracker were initially suspended with pay; but, as of Friday, that status had changed.

The Town of Rocky Mount says the action taken is part of its "ongoing cooperation with the federal investigation into the presence of both men at the Washington D.C. Capitol building on January 6."

"We are fully aware of the serious nature of the information contained in the federal arrest warrants..."

Officer Fracker reportedly told a friend on Facebook that he urinated in Nancy Pelosi's toilet during the Capitol raids, according to the Daily Beast, which obtained the documents filed by the FBI for a search warrant.

Those documents also showed that videos, photos and messages directly implicated Fracker in the breach.

The Daily Beast reports:

The FBI warrant application says Fracker sent a video to an unidentified friend on Jan. 7 that showed him wearing a gas mask inside the Capitol.

“Turning the camera towards himself, Fracker hits his chest multiple times,” it explains. “Fracker tells his Facebook friend, ‘Shit was wild lol I pissed in Nancy P’s toilet.’”

Earlier this week, a group in Franklin County accused the town of engaging in a coverup and demanded the town take action against the officers.

The Town says it and its police department are close to concluding its own investigation; they expect to release an update on the matter early next week.

The Town of Rocky Mount says they are continuing to work with federal agents as they investigate the matter, as well.

Both men are facing federal charges.

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Fracker is a corporal in the Virginia National Guard.

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