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2h ago

FBI Fires Roughly 20 Agents, Including Those Who Kneeled During 2020 Protest

The move caps a leadership overhaul that reexamined previously cleared conduct.

Federal Bureau of Investigation (officers take a knee with demonstrators, as they march on Pennsylvania Ave. on Thursday, June 4, 2020, in Washington, during a protest over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died after a police officer kneeled on his neck for several minutes.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 17: Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel testifies before the House Judiciary Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on September 17, 2025 in Washington, DC. Patel is facing questions from lawmakers for the second straight day following a contentious hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee where he was criticized for his handling of investigations into the assassination of political activist Charlie Kirk and the case related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
FBI Director Kash Patel testifies in front of the Senate Judiciary Commitee in Washington, D.C., on Sept.16, 2025.

Overview

  • Multiple outlets report between 15 and 22 terminations, with about 15 tied to agents photographed kneeling on June 4, 2020 in Washington, which sources say was a crowd de-escalation tactic.
  • The latest actions followed an inspection-division review vetted by the bureau’s general counsel, and the FBI declined public comment on the personnel decisions.
  • An internal review under then‑Director Christopher Wray had concluded the kneeling did not violate policy, but agents were reassigned earlier this year before being dismissed.
  • The FBI Agents Association condemned the firings as unlawful and a violation of due process, said more than a dozen agents were affected, and urged Congress to investigate.
  • The terminations are part of a broader reshaping under Director Kash Patel that has included senior-level ousters and lawsuits alleging politically motivated retribution, allegations Patel denies.