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The motto of the Minneapolis police is displayed on the doors of our squad cars: to protect with courage and serve with compassion. Every day, men and women in uniform across the country personify that motto to protect public safety, often at great personal risk, and often while making great personal sacrifices.

The violence carried out against police officers during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot on the U.S. Capitol — an attack fueled by anger, hatred and conspiracy theories — has left scars not only on those who were present, but on the entire law enforcement community.

Last week, President Donald Trump pardoned several people who assaulted, disarmed, beat, tased and tormented police officers for hours — cops who simply showed up that day to do their job. These pardons not only undermine justice, but they devalue the service and sacrifices made by these officers. They also send a chilling message to all those who wear the badge — essentially saying their lives and safety are expendable if it serves a political purpose.

The violence on Jan. 6 was not just an attack on a building; it was an attack on the rule of law. Officers were choked, sprayed with bear spray and pepper spray, and beaten with metal poles, batons and police shields. They were crushed and pinned in doorways and tased repeatedly. Many suffered lifelong injuries, physical and psychological. Officer Brian Sicknick, a fellow New Jersey native, lost his life as a direct result of the violence experienced. Sicknick's mom said that "lawlessness, misplaced loyalty to a deranged autocratic ideal, and hate killed my son." Yet the person convicted of assaulting Sicknick received a "full, complete, and unconditional pardon." Four other cops committed suicide. Another 174 cops were injured in the melee.

Among the pardoned are criminals like Patrick Edward McCaughey III, who used a riot shield to crush and pin an officer in a door frame. Or Daniel Rodriguez, who repeatedly jabbed a stun gun into an officer's neck. These are not "peaceful protesters" or "patriots." These are individuals who participated in a mob who violently assaulted police.

By granting clemency, President Trump has erased years of investigation that has sought to bring some sense of justice. He has rendered meaningless the hard work of officers who bore the weight of those attacks, and the investigators and prosecutors who sought accountability. More important, he has signaled to the families of police that their loved ones are expendable.

Make no mistake this decision will come back to haunt us. The message it sends is dangerous: that violence against police can be excused if it serves a favored political agenda. It weakens the trust that society depends on to have blind justice and the rule of law. It makes the already challenging job of police that much harder as extremists will believe they are empowered.

We cannot forget the weight of these actions. We cannot forget the officers who valiantly held the line against the mob, and who, in many cases, suffered and feared for their very lives. Justice demands accountability. It demands that violent attacks on our police have consequences.

We need to stand up for those officers who were assaulted and who lost their lives. We need to stand up for their families, and for every law enforcement professional who gives honor and dignity to the badge by their service every day. We need to collectively send a message to all of law enforcement: We see your service and your sacrifice, and we honor it. We stand in solidarity with you.

As Minneapolis police chief, I call on everyone, regardless of political affiliation, in our community, our state and our nation to reject these dangerous precedents. Let us reaffirm our commitment to justice, to the rule of law, and to the safety of those who serve. Violence against police officers can never be normalized, excused or forgotten.

I ask Minnesotans to reflect on what these decisions mean for us as a society, particularly as we are trying to rebuild the ranks of law enforcement in our state. For those of us in the profession, it is yet another reminder that you cannot play politics with public safety. For the families of officers who made the ultimate sacrifice, the pardons are a very harsh slap in the face.

Brian O'Hara has been the police chief in Minneapolis since 2022.