REVEALED: Off-duty cop arrested in Capitol riot is ALSO a corporal in Virginia National Guard - making him first serving military member to be charged in the attack
Jacob Fracker, an off-duty police officer charged in connection with the deadly riots at the U.S. Capitol, is also member of the Virginia National Guard, making him the first known person currently in the military to be arrested over last week's events.
An official confirmed Fracker's military status on Thursday, a week after President Donald Trump's supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol, forcing lawmakers to flee the inner chambers of the building.
Fracker, 29, and fellow Rocky Mount police officer Thomas Robertson were charged after they were photographed inside the Capitol 'making an obscene statement in front of a statue of (Revolutionary hero) John Stark,' the Department of Justice said on Wednesday.
On Thursday, the Virginia National Guard said Fracker is a corporal in the State's Guard and serves as an infantryman.
Jacob Fracker (left) is seen in the Capitol on January 6 with fellow Rocky Mount police officer Thomas Robertson. Fracker was revealed on Thursday to be in the National Guard
Fracker is seen in uniform from his days as a U.S. Marine. He is currently a police officer in Rocky Mount, Virginia and a corporal in the Virginia National Guard
'The Virginia National Guard will conduct an investigation into the matter, and we will be able to release more information when that is complete,' it said in a statement.
Fracker was not on duty with other members of the Virginia National Guard helping protect President-elect Joe Biden's January 20 inauguration, the Guard added.
The disclosure, first reported by Military.com, comes the same day a senior official said there had been an increase in extremism in the United States military over the past year.
Five people including a police officer died as a result of the attack on the Capitol. The assault marks a critical moment for extremists who have seized on false claims, spread by Trump, that the U.S. election system is fraudulent and rigged.
'I think there is an increase (in extremism) based on the societal increases,' the senior official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told reporters.
The official added there was also an increase because of more reporting in the military, and said the military was tracking down leads.
Fracker and Robertson were charged Wednesday with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building without lawful authority, and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
Rocky Mount police Sergeant Thomas Robertson took photos on the National Mall as Trump's supporters marched toward the Capitol ahead of the riot
They had already been placed on leave after going to the deadly riot and posing in front of a statue of John Stark, a general during the American Revolution.
In a screenshot of a Facebook post that was circulating on social media, Robertson allegedly wrote, 'CNN and the Left are just mad because we actually attacked the government who is the problem and not some random small business.
'The right IN ONE DAY took the f***ing U.S. Capitol. Keep poking us.'
Sgt Robertson had told The Roanoke Times that he and officer Fracker, who were both off-duty, did nothing illegal in Washington on January 6, when a mob of supporters of President Donald Trump stormed into the Capitol after Trump repeated bogus claims of election fraud at a rally near the White House.
The Army veteran is said to have posted he was 'f***ing PROUD' of the selfie.
Fracker in a now deleted post is said to have written: 'Lol to anyone who's possibly concerned about the picture of me going around... Sorry I hate freedom? Sorry I fought hard for it and lost friends for it?
'Not like I did anything illegal, WAY too much to lose to go there but, ya'll do what you feel you need to lol.
'I can protest for what I believe in and still support your protest fro [sic] what you believe in. Just saying..after all, I fought for the right to do it…'
Five people were killed, including a Capitol Police officer and a Trump supporter.
Fracker in a now deleted post is said to have written: 'Lol to anyone who's possibly concerned about the picture of me going around... Sorry I hate freedom?'
Army vet Robertson posted he was 'f***ing PROUD' of the selfie
Robertson said he does not support the violence that happened inside the Capitol. 'Absolutely not,' he said. 'For it to go like that is absolutely ridiculous.'
Robertson said he and Fracker went into the building at about 2 p.m. or 3 p.m.
'We were escorted in by the Capitol Police, shown around and told, "As long as you stay here, you´re fine."' They stayed in cordoned areas, he said.
Robertson said he and Fracker were not aware at the time that the rally had turned violent.
'The Capitol building is as big as our town,' he said. 'Where I was at there was no violence. There was no fighting with police officers. The door was wide open and police officers were actually handing bottles of water out to people that came in.'
He told ABC13: 'There was absolutely no indication that we were anything but welcome to check out certain places. We did not participate in any violence or property damage.'
On Sunday, the Rocky Mount Police Department said it notified federal authorities that two of its off-duty officers were present at an 'event' in Washington on January 6.
'The Town of Rocky Mount fully supports all lawful expressions of freedom of speech and assembly by its employees but does not condone the unlawful acts that occurred that day,' a town statement said.
They said Wednesday: 'Two Rocky Mount Police Department officers were charged by federal authorities with misdemeanors stemming from their presence at an event in Washington, D.C. on January 6, 2021.
'The Town's review of this matter is ongoing and the officers remain on administrative leave.'
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