Extremism in the ranks is a ‘threat,’ but the Pentagon’s not sure how to address it February 21 An armed supporter of President Donald Trump speaks casually with a Washington State Patrol trooper during a rally on Jan. 10, 2021, at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. (Ted S. Warren/AP) The sea of protesters-turned-rioters massing near the Capitol on Jan. 6 carried with them pro-Trump signs, American flags and an array of political banners. Also among the crowd were many emblems of the military community: Some waved Marine Corps flags, many sported military tactical gear, even specific unit patches signifying their time in service.
Two former Rocky Mount police officers, one a former resident of Floyd County, now face a new felony charge with a prison sentence of up to 20 years for their part in the Jan. 6 mob riot that shut down the capitol, damaged the building and led to 5 deaths, including the murder of a Capitol Hill police officer.
A federal grand jury indicted Thomas “TJ” Robertson, 47, and Jacob Fracker, 29, with one count each of “obstruction of an official proceeding,” a felony , that is added to misdemeanor charges of “entering and remaining in a restricted building and disruptive conduct in a restricted building that have a maximum sentence of one year and a petty office of disorderly conduct charge with a six-month jail sentence.
Staff Writer
ELKINS The American flag at Elkins City Hall was flown at half-mast on Friday in honor of Donald R. “Donnie” Pritt, who passed away at the age of 73 last week.
Pritt was a familiar face at City Hall, where he served for many years on the Elkins Police Civil Service Commission. He was an integral part of the hiring of numerous Elkins Police Department officers, including nearly every one that is currently employed with the EPD.
Pritt was a graduate of Elkins High School with the class of 1966 and Magna Cum Laude graduate with a Bachelor of Arts Degree, Military Management, from the University of Charleston. He worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service before joining the West Virginia Army National Guard, where he was a recruiter for many years received numerous awards for his excellent recruiting. He served 42 years in the West Virginia Army National Guard and received numerous ribbons upon his retirement.
PRITT
Donald R. “Donnie” Pritt, 73, a resident of Elkins, passed away Saturday in the Emergency Department of Davis Medical Center. He had been in his usual health and his death was unexpected.
He was born Sept. 14, 1947, in Elkins, a son of the late Donald H. and Delania “Pee Wee” Gibson Pritt. On May 11, 2019, at Landmark Baptist Church in Elkins, he was married to Linda Louise Romine, who survives.
Also surviving is one brother, Edward Pritt and wife, Patricia, of Elkins; sister-in-law, Judy Kittle and husband, Thomas Bradley Kittle, of Elkins; and brother-in-law, Thomas P. Romine and wife, Brenda, of Elkins.
Rocky Mount’s two wayward police officer, with stories that continue to change about what they or did not do inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, are now ex-cops after getting fired Tuesday.
Town Manager James Ervin confirmed Tuesday that former Thomas “T.J.” Robertson and former Officer Jacob Fracker are no longer affiliated with the Rocky Mount police department.
In a written statement, Ervin said:
We hear those who have communicated their anger and frustration about the actions of these individuals or our response to those actions. We have treated the process of review seriously from the beginning and thank those who contributed and in coordinating a response in a quick, objective and lawful manner