President Trump’s pardons and commutations for more than 1,500 January 6th rioters – hundreds of whom assaulted capitol police, severely injuring some of them – are drawing mixed reactions from Kentucky law enforcement leaders. Nelson County Sheriff Ramon Pineiroa is the president of the Kentucky Sheriff’s Association.
“When law enforcement that is there to serve and protect the capital, and not only the capital, but the nation and rural towns or whatnot, I think we're held to a higher standard.”
The Kentucky Fraternal Order of Police declined an interview request. They sent a statement from the national organization taking issue with Trump’s decision and that of former President Biden to commute the sentence of a man convicted of killing two FBI agents in 1975. Asked if he disagreed with Trump’s decision, Pineiroa said yes.
“Law enforcement is there to serve and protect, and you have citizens that went into the capital, rioted and assaulted law enforcement, and like you said, some of them were severely injured.”
Four people died during the attack on the capitol. The next day, a capitol police officer died of a stroke. In the months that followed, three officers who defended the capitol on January 6 committed suicide.
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