A Chicago police officer was arrested Friday morning and charged with two misdemeanor counts tied to his alleged participation in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, where he apparently wore a Chicago police sweatshirt and took a selfie inside a senator’s office.
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Karol J. Chwiesiuk, 29, was charged after FBI agents learned his phone had been inside the Capitol on Jan. 6 and then found photos he had sent to a friend along with texts such as “We inside the capitol” and “Knocked out a commie last night,” according to court documents.
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At a news conference Friday afternoon, Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said he was informed by the FBI on June 2 that Chwiesiuk was under investigation and immediately removed his police powers, though the officer wasn’t arrested for another nine days.
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“The fact that a Chicago police officer has been charged in that attack on American democracy,” Brown said, “makes my blood boil.”
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Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and a number of Chicago civil rights leaders, including Jesse Jackson, appeared at the news conference to denounce the sentiments allegedly expressed by Chwiesiuk, an officer for two years.
“You will not be paid by the taxpayers of this community,” Lightfoot said, “to be a hateful member of our community.”
An attorney for Chwiesiuk could not be immediately reached.
Chwiesiuk is charged with knowingly entering or remaining on restricted grounds without lawful entry, and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. He is not accused of attacking police or vandalizing property.
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Chwiesiuk appears to be at least the 19th current or former member of law enforcement to be arrested in the investigation into Jan. 6. On Thursday, a former police chief in La Habra, Calif., Alan Hostetter, also was arrested.
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