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FACT BRIEF

Was a Washington police officer carrying a Confederate flag at the Capitol insurrection?

By Christiana Dillard
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NO

A social media post implies that Washington, D.C., police officer Michael Fanone and Kevin Seefried, alleged to have carried a Confederate flag inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, are the same man. Photos of the two men, who bear a resemblance, are juxtaposed in the post.

Fanone was working to deter the chaos that day. He testified before a House committee on July 27, 2021, that he was threatened, tased, beaten unconscious and suffered a heart attack and brain injuries.

Seefried, who is from Delaware, has been charged with "Knowingly Entering or Remaining in any Restricted Building or Grounds Without Lawful Authority" and "Violent Entry and Disorderly Conduct on Capitol Grounds."

See a full discussion of this at Lead Stories
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
C-SPAN Capitol and DC Police Testify on January 6 Attack
US Department of Justice Case document for Kevin Seefried
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Lead Stories
Lead Stories is a fact checking and debunking website at the intersection of big data and journalism that launched in 2015. It scouts for trending stories, images, videos and posts that contain false information in order to fact check them as quickly as possible. It actively monitors the fake-news ecosystem and doesn’t wait for reader tips or reports before getting started on a story.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.