Office of Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland
Date: Thursday, January 14, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
contact: Aigner Cleveland
Press Secretary
Mayor Kirkland Issues Statement on Retired Firefighter Who Participated in Insurrection at U.S. Capitol
(CHESTER, PA) – “City officials are aware that a former Chester Firefighter allegedly attended and participated in the insurrection that took place in our nation’s capital last week. While Robert Sanford adorned a hat with a Fire Department logo, he is not a current employee of the city of Chester. Mr. Sanford was a member of the Chester Fire Department from January 1994 until his retirement in February 2020.
As the First Amendment of our Constitution outlines the right to free speech and to peaceful assembly, the actions of the rioters in D.C. last week hinged on characteristics of domestic terrorism.
As such, if any person, be it current or former employee or resident, is confirmed to have participated in last week’s event at the Capitol, then we hope our legal system will work according to its purpose and bring them to justice.
On behalf of the city of Chester, I offer my deepest, most heartfelt condolences to the family and friends who lost a loved one as a result of the events that transpired on that day.”