Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021
Was a Washington police officer carrying a Confederate flag at the Capitol insurrection?
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."
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
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Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.
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