10/18/2021
Police officer accused of telling Jan. 6 rioter to hide evidence
A U.S. Capitol Police officer has been indicted on obstruction of justice charges after prosecutors said he helped to hide evidence of a rioter's involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection. The officer is accused of telling a man who participated in the attack that while he agreed “with your political stance," the man should remove Facebook posts that showed him inside the Capitol Jan 6. "They're arresting dozens of people a day," the officer warned the man later picked up by the FBI.
■Class discussion: If it is proved that the officer told a rioter to take down his Facebook posts, would that constitute a crime? Why or why not? What were the rioters trying to accomplish when they broke into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6? How many police officers were injured by the rioters? How many people died because of the attack? How many off-duty law enforcement officers have been charged in the insurrection? Should any officer convicted of participating in the attack be fired?