Sheriff Alex Villanueva: Off-Duty Deputy Investigated For Possible Involvement In Capitol Riots
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — An off-duty Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy is under investigation for being possibly involved in the violent riots at the U.S. Capitol last week, Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Thursday.
In a statement he released on Twitter, Villanueva said he contacted the FBI after learning one of his deputies may have been involved in "wrongdoing at the U.S. Capitol." The sheriff said that an administrative inquiry has also been launched into the matter.
"I unequivocally condemn the violence that occurred in D.C. with the same resolve that I condemned the rioting and looting we saw after the killing of George Floyd. The rule of law applies to all and no cause can be legitimately advanced through violence," Villanueva said in a video posted to Facebook.
Villanueva did not identify the deputy and did not specify any allegations against him or her.
According to some reports, the mob of President Trump's supporters that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 included off-duty members of the military and law enforcement. LAPD Chief Michel Moore said one of his employees attended the rally ahead of the riot and has been instructed to speak to the FBI.
A Glendora man was arrested Wednesday for breaking a window in the Capitol building. Immediately after the riot, a San Diego woman was confirmed to have been fatally shot by Capitol police as she tried to jump through a broken window.
