The two Seattle police officers who allegedly stormed the Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection were fired Friday.
The Seattle Office of Police Accountability (OPA) began investigating ex-officers Caitlin and Alexander Everett, who are married, just days after the Capitol attack after the Seattle Police Department was made aware that the couple was in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6. Friday marks the first time that the couple’s identity is revealed.
Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz said the two “crossed the outdoor barriers established by the Capitol Police and were directly next to the Capitol Building,” according to his statement released Friday.
The trip became public after Caitlin Everett posted a photo at the demonstration on Facebook. She reportedly defended her actions by saying she was first alerted of her trespassing when she read a news article that OPA’s investigation began.
“It is beyond absurd to suggest that they did not know they were in an area where they should not be, amidst what was already a violent, criminal riot,” he added.
Diaz extended his apologies to Capitol Police, who suffered an onslaught of abuse during and after the insurrection.
“On behalf of the Seattle Police Department, I send my apologies to the Capitol Police, Washington DC Metro Police, Virginia State Police and all the other agencies that put themselves on the line protecting the Capitol and who continue to bear the scars of that day,” he said.
The couple was part of the six police officers present during President Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally, according to the AP. Three officers were found not to have been violating any policies or engaging in illegal activity. The last officer’s violations are inconclusive.