Maryland police officer suspended after arrest on Capitol riot charges
SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) 鈥� A Maryland police officer who fatally shot a stabbing suspect earlier this year was arrested Thursday on charges that he assaulted police during a mob鈥檚 Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The Montgomery County Police Department said in a news release that it has suspended Officer Justin Lee without pay and is 鈥渢aking steps to terminate his employment鈥� after his indictment on felony charges.
The police department said it hired Lee roughly one year after the Jan. 6 riot and didn鈥檛 know about his alleged involvement in the attack until July 2023, when it learned he was under FBI investigation.
鈥淭he actions of one individual do not define the entire department,鈥� the department said.
Lee, 25, of Rockville, Maryland, had been on administrative leave since he shot and killed a man suspected of stabbing four people on July 22, 2023, according to the police department.
Officers had responded to calls for a stabbing at a thrift store in Silver Spring, Maryland, before they confronted the suspect, who was holding a foot-long butcher鈥檚 knife. The suspect ignored officers鈥� commands to drop the knife and lunged at Lee before the officer shot him, police said in a news release.
One of the four stabbing victims was critically injured, police said. After the shooting, Assistant Police Chief Darren Francke told reporters that all of the victims were expected to survive the attacks, which he described as 鈥渦nprovoked.鈥�
Lee was arrested in Washington, D.C., on the Jan. 6 charges and was expected to make his initial court appearance on Thursday, according to the U.S. Attorney鈥檚 office for the District of Columbia.
Lee hasn鈥檛 been performing a police officer鈥檚 duties since the July shooting, the department said. His unpaid suspension stems from his arrest on Jan. 6 charges.
A federal grand jury indicted Lee on seven counts, including felony charges of civil disorder and assaulting, resisting or impeding police. The indictment charges Lee with assaulting a Metropolitan Police Officer but doesn鈥檛 provide a detailed account of the attack.
An attorney for Lee, Terrell Roberts III, didn鈥檛 immediately respond to an email and telephone call seeking comment.
The police department said Lee applied to be a Montgomery County police officer in July 2021, six months after the riot. The police department said it thoroughly investigates the background of job applicants but is reviewing that process 鈥渢o determine whether adjustments need to be made.鈥�
鈥淟ee鈥檚 involvement in the January 6 insurrection was not discovered during this process, as he was not identified by the Justice Department in connection with the event,鈥� the department said.
More than 100 police officers were injured during clashes with rioters supporting then-President Donald Trump. Over 1,100 people, including several current or former law enforcement officers, have been charged with Capitol riot-related federal crimes.
This story was first published on October 19, 2023. It was updated on October 20, 2023, to correct Darren Francke鈥檚 title. He is an assistant police chief, not the police chief.
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