A Florida firefighter who was photographed inside the US Capitol during last week’s deadly riot has been arrested by the FBI, officials said.
Sanford firefighter and paramedic Andrew Williams was arrested by federal authorities on charges of unlawful entry of a restricted building and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds for his role in the Jan. 6 siege, Fire Chief Crag Radzak confirmed Tuesday.
Williams — employed by the department since 2016 — has been placed on administrative leave without pay as the federal criminal investigation and a separate internal probe proceeds, Radzak said.
“We hold the men and women in this department to the highest standards,” the chief said in a statement. “It saddens me that the actions of one individual have tarnished the hard work and dedication that the rest of the department puts forth on a daily basis.”
Williams, who was taken into custody Tuesday, was arrested days after he was identified in a photo sent anonymously to Florida TV news station WKMG. The image shows the firefighter wearing a Trump 2020 hat while pointing to a sign for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the station reported.
Radzak told The Post last week that the department’s administrative probe would look into “all aspects” of the photo, including possible violations of law or city policy.
“We are aware of the situation involving our Sanford firefighter yesterday,” Radzak said Thursday.
Williams appeared Tuesday at a federal courthouse in Orlando, where he was released from custody after posting $25,000 bond, WKMG reported. A judge also ordered him to surrender any firearms, as well as his passport, and to undergo a mental health evaluation.
If convicted, Williams reportedly faces up to six months in jail.
A spokesman for the US Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida told the Orlando Sentinel that Williams was charged by federal prosecutors in Washington. A judge also ordered the Maitland man to stay in Florida except for travel to the nation’s capital for future hearings, the newspaper reported.
Williams had nothing to say about his alleged actions as he left the courthouse, but his attorney cast blame on President Trump and authorities for the violence at the Capitol that left five people dead.
“The president and the Capitol Police encouraged despicable behavior,” defense attorney Vincent Citro told Bay News 9. “Mr. Williams took part in none of it.”
A sprawling investigation into the deadly riot is underway, FBI and Department of Justice officials announced Tuesday, saying more than 70 people had been charged thus far. That number is expected to grow into the hundreds, authorities said.