A police officer in Montgomery County, Maryland, was indicted for his alleged role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Officer Justin Lee, 25, of Rockville, Maryland, was arrested in D.C. on Thursday after he was indicted on multiple felony and misdemeanor counts, including for assaulting law enforcement, federal prosecutors said. It wasn’t immediately clear if he has a lawyer.
Lee was pictured in a “be on the lookout” image distributed by the FBI. He’s seen wearing a Maryland flag-patterned neck gaiter over his mouth.
Lee faces felony counts of civil disorder and assaulting, resisting or impeding officers. Misdemeanor counts include disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, and engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds. The seven-count indictment was unsealed Thursday.
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“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,” prosecutors said in a statement. “Lee is also accused of entering and remaining in the U.S. Capitol grounds while the Vice President was and would be temporarily visiting without lawful authority to do so and engaging in disruptive conduct, physical violence, and disorderly conduct while on restricted grounds of the Capitol.”
The Montgomery County Police Department said Lee applied to become an officer in July 2021, six months after the Capitol attack, and was hired in January 2022. They said they learned in July that Lee was the subject of an FBI investigation.
Lee has been suspended without pay, and the department is “taking steps to terminate his employment,” they said in a statement Thursday.
Lee shot and killed an armed suspect this summer, police say
Lee shot and killed a 19-year-old in Gaithersburg on July 22 after the man stabbed four people in Aspen Hill, police and the Maryland Office of the Attorney General said. He was placed on administrative leave after the deadly shooting.
Montgomery County police are “initiating a comprehensive review of our background investigation process to determine whether adjustments need to be made,” they said.
“The Montgomery County Police Department conducts a thorough background investigation as part of its standard hiring process to ensure the suitability of candidates for employment. Lee's 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,” they said.
Federal and state investigations are ongoing.
More than 1,100 people have been charged so far for alleged crimes on Jan. 6.
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Lee was expected to appear in court Thursday.
Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.
