Arlington County leaders raise issue with PD participation in White House UFC event

The Arlington County Board of Supervisors is officially unhappy that two members of the county police department escorted, in uniform, a cagefighter at the June 14 UFC event at the White House.

“Despite this being an invitation to an official White House event, the Board believes this event neither genuinely recognizes our first responders for their heroism nor honors our nation’s 250th anniversary. The event went beyond the expected ceremonial support of our first responders and exploited good faith efforts to honor the 25th anniversary of 9/11,” the Board said in a statement released on Friday.

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The Arlington County PD had defended the move, saying the officers had been invited by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, a nonprofit established in memory of FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller, who died on Sept. 11, 2001.

The nonprofit, the PD said, invited 9/11 first responders from New York City and Arlington along with other public safety officials and Medal of Honor recipients to the UFC event “to participate in the event to honor and recognize their service.”

Both of the ACPD officers involved in the UFC event were first responders to the attack at the Pentagon in 2001, “and continue their service to the Arlington community.”

At issue: the UFC event doubled as a Trump rally, complete with one of the winning cagefighters taking to a live TV mic to declare that former First Lady Michelle Obama “is a man!”

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The Arlington County BOS statement indicated that the officers “followed county protocols that allow public safety officials to attend ceremonial events in uniform” and “participated voluntarily and without pay from the county.”

“The Board will continue reviewing the relevant policies and procedures to ensure that Arlington is represented in accordance with the county’s high standards and community values,” the statement said.