Aberdeen Police Chief Claims He Didn't Know His Son Was At U.S. Capitol Riots After Photo Circulates Online
ABERDEEN, Md. (WJZ) — The Aberdeen Police chief says he was unaware his adult son was at the U.S. Capitol riots after a picture circulated online over the weekend.
The picture of Chief Henry Trabert's son was seen in the comments section of the Aberdeen Police Department's Facebook page. The chief said he didn't know his son was going to the events last week, or even that they were happening.
The picture, which was uploaded as a profile picture, showed a group of people standing in front of the U.S. Capitol with the caption, "Yeah, I stormed the Capitol. Yeah, I took my country back. And no, I don't feel bad. I feel great!"
WJZ has not been able to locate the original Facebook post with said picture, however the information was confirmed by the police statement.
"He absolutely condemns the lawless activities that took place at the Capitol last week," a statement from APD said over the weekend.
The photograph has since been removed from the department's page, the police department said, after it was added to an unrelated post.
Chief Trabert released this statement as well:
". . . as a police officer and American citizen, I fully support any and all inquiries by the proper authorities regarding the circumstances surrounding the events and unlawful activities that took place at the Capitol building. I have always been open, up front, and honest with the Aberdeen community; transparency and accountability are two of the hallmarks of my administration. As your Chief, I have a responsibility to serve all members of our community, regardless of race, color, creed, sexual orientation, or political affiliation. I want to assure you that I am and continue to be transparent and up front with you. My integrity and the members of the Aberdeen Police Department remain my top priority. Our department continues to remain focused on serving the best interests of the community. While we have not and do not plan to remove comments that are off topic, we will not post that may infringe on the rights or safety of others, or that are not related to the topic in question. Should you have any questions you are welcome to call or email me, or our Public Information Officer, Lt. Will Reiber, at the Aberdeen Police Department (410) 272-2121."
The police department added that it could be conceivable that the picture and caption of his son was "deliberately placed within a story having absolutely no relationship to Aberdeen or the APD, in an effort to discredit him, his service and/or the APD."
