Memes Misidentify D.C. Police Officer as Jan. 6 Protester

Quick Take

Using side-by-side photos of two men who bear some resemblance to each other, social media posts are spreading the false claim that a Washington, D.C., police officer who responded to the Capitol breach on Jan. 6 was really part of the rioting crowd. The photos actually show two different people.

Full Story

Michael Fanone, a Washington, D.C., police officer who responded to the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, recently testified before the House select committee investigating the uprising.

He told the committee, “I was grabbed, beaten, tased, all while being called a traitor to my country.”

But posts have been circulating on social media with