City employees found to have participated in last week’s attack on the Capitol will be terminated immediately, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday.
“If we have proof that someone violently attacked our United States government, they will not be working for New York City any longer,” de Blasio told reporters.
On Jan. 6, a mob of pro-Trump rioters stormed the Capitol building in an attempt to overturn the results of the presidential election as congress members gathered to count electoral college votes confirming President-elect Joe Biden.
The attack came after weeks of encouragement from President Trump for his supporters to try and undermine the election and shortly after he told a crowd gathered at The Ellipse “we will never give up, we will never concede…you will never take back our country with weakness.”
The chaos that followed as rioters scaled Capitol building walls, broke past barricades, and shoved through security resulted in the death of at least five people.
City police departments across the country are investigating their officers’ involvement in the attack amid reports of off-duty officers attending the event. Members of the military are also being investigated. At least one psychological operations officer and a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel are currently being placed under scrutiny for their involvement during the mob attack.
In addition, two Capitol police officers were suspended and another arrested on Monday for their involvement during the Jan. 6 attack, according to Rep. Tim Ryan who heads the House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees Capitol Police.
The New York City Police Department is currently investigating at least one member for taking part in last weeks’ attack, Commissioner Dermot Shea said Monday.
The NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau is handling the probe. Shea did not disclose the officer’s identity, rank or position within the department.
“We don’t know if it’s true or not,” he said during the interview with “Mornings on 1” on Spectrum News NY1.
