DATE:  January 12, 2021

CONTACT: Diane Richardson
Media Relations
301-609-6557 or 240-682-1658

Charles County, MD…The Charles County Sheriff’s Office, Office of Professional Responsibility, is investigating the possibility a corrections officer was inappropriately present on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol last week. Today, command staff received an internal complaint of the employee’s possible involvement.  At this time, there is no indication other employees were involved; however, should the Agency learn of other potential violations, immediate action will be taken.  The employee has been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.  Sheriff Troy D. Berry said, “I wanted to immediately inform the community of this investigation and reassure them that we are working with federal authorities to determine what the employee’s exact involvement was and determine whether there was a violation of laws or agency policies. Let me be very clear: While I support lawful expressions of freedom of speech and assembly, I do not condone the violence or the threats to our democracy that we observed that day.  Our agency will work hand-in hand with federal authorities in this matter.”

The Charles County Sheriff’s Office is a full-service law enforcement agency comprised of more than 600 police, corrections and civilian personnel responsible for protecting more than 150,000 residents. The CCSO was accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) in 2001 and has since earned the highest rating of Excellence. Established in 1658, the CCSO is one of the oldest law enforcement agencies in the United States. For more information, visit www.ccso.us.

Charles County Crime Solvers offers rewards of up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest or indictment of a person responsible for a crime in Charles County. All individuals who provide tips through Crime Solvers will remain anonymous. Anyone with information about an unsolved crime or the location of a fugitive may contact Charles County Crime Solvers by calling 1-866-411-TIPS. Tips can also be submitted online at www.charlescountycrimesolvers.com or by using the P3Intel mobile app, which can be found in the Android Store and Apple store by searching P3tips. For more information about the P3 program, click on this link: www.p3intel.com.