Court blocks release of names of SPD officers who were in DC during Capitol riot
Mar 18, 2021, 8:53 AM | Updated: 9:46 am
A mob pushes their into the Capitol. (Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
An appeals court in Washington extended a restraining order Wednesday, stopping the release of the names of six Seattle police officers who attended a rally in front of the White House directly prior to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Sixth SPD officer investigated for being in DC during Capitol riot
According to The Seattle Times, the City of Seattle originally planned to publish the identities of the six officers as part of an update on the active investigation into their conduct at the event, and had notified the officers of that, and the fact that four people had filed public records requests for that information as well.
Upon receiving that notification from the city, the officers successfully halted the release of their information in late February.
But last week, a King County judge ruled that the names of the officers could be released after a seven-day extension of a restraining order that was set to expire on Wednesday. Then, an additional delay was granted Wednesday by Appeals Court Commissioner Jennifer Koh, “to allow reasonable time for this Court to fairly consider the officers’ request for a discretionary review.”
Seattle man charged with assaulting federal officer during Capitol riot
Initially, images posted to social media revealed that two Seattle police officers had attended the now-infamous insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Those two officers were placed on leave pending the status of an investigation into whether they actively participated in the riot. Four additional officers self-reported their attendance in the ensuing weeks, and were allowed to remain on duty.
The officers who reported being in attendance at the Capitol cite fears for their safety and reputations should their names become public.
The city’s Office of Police Accountability is currently conducting the investigation into all six officers to determine whether they violated department policy or broke any laws as events unfolded on Jan. 6.
