Maryland Police Officer Charged Over Alleged Participation in Jan. 6 Capitol Attack

Protesters fight with riot police outside the Capitol building in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)

A Montgomery County police officer has been arrested for his alleged involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol breach in 2021.

Officer Justin Lee, 25, of Rockville, Maryland, was charged on Thursday with seven counts by the District of Columbia.

“According to the indictment, on Jan. 6, 2021, Lee forcibly assaulted a law enforcement officer and obstructed, impeded, or interfered with a law enforcement officer during a civil disorder,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia said in a press release.

With other former President Donald Trump supporters, he allegedly disrupted the joint session of the U.S. Congress, where a handful of House members gathered to validate the electoral votes pertaining to the 2020 presidential election.

Mr. Lee was also charged with several misdemeanors, one of which was unlawfully entering and remaining in a restricted area, along with unruly behavior and acts of violence.

Lee Joined Police After Capitol Attack

In a press release, the Montgomery County Department of Police (MCPD) stated that Mr. Lee submitted an application to join the police force in July 2021, half a year following the Jan. 6 Capitol breach. His connection to the breach remained undiscovered throughout the hiring process, and he was hired in January of 2022.

“In July of 2023, MCPD was informed that Officer Justin Lee was the subject of an FBI investigation,” MCPD said in a statement on Thursday. “Prior to his suspension, Lee had been on administrative leave for his involvement in the shooting death of an armed suspect on July 22.”

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According to the department, Mr. Lee fatally shot a 19-year-old in Gaithersburg on July 22 after the man had reportedly stabbed four people in Aspen Hill.

The department has suspended Mr. Lee without pay since his arrest on the Capital riot charges and is actively pursuing termination of his employment.

Over 1,000 People Face Capitol Riot Charges

Since Jan. 6, 2021, over 1,100 individuals have faced charges in almost all 50 states and the District of Columbia for offenses connected to the Jan. 6 violence. The number of individuals charged with the felony offense of assaulting or impeding law enforcement exceeded 400, according to the Department of Justice.

The charges for offenders extend from misdemeanor offenses for non-violent Capitol trespassers to seditious conspiracy charges.

The DOJ stated that the breach into the Capitol led to losses totaling approximately $2,734,783. Approximately 114 police officers were injured in the attack, according to the Government Accountability Office in a 2022 report.

Attorney General Merrick Garland called the Jan. 6 Capitol violence an “unprecedented attack on the seat of our democracy.”

“In charging the perpetrators, we have followed well-worn prosecutorial practices,” he said in a statement.

“Those who assaulted officers or damaged the Capitol face greater charges. Those who conspired with others to obstruct the vote count also face greater charges. Those who did not undertake such conduct have been charged with lesser offenses — particularly if they accepted their responsibility early and cooperated with the investigation.”

Capitol riot investigations are still ongoing.