FBI Terminates Agents Who Kneeled During 2020 George Floyd Protests Amid Broader Personnel Changes

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has terminated the employment of agents who were captured in photographs kneeling during a racial justice demonstration in Washington following George Floyd's death in 2020, according to three individuals familiar with the situation.

Initially, the FBI had reassigned these agents last spring, but has now proceeded with termination, according to sources who requested anonymity when discussing personnel matters with The Associated Press.

While the exact number of terminated FBI employees remains unclear, two sources indicated it was approximately 20 individuals.

The photographs in question showed a group of agents kneeling during one of the demonstrations that followed Floyd's May 2020 killing, an incident that triggered a nationwide conversation about policing practices and racial injustice after video footage of the arrest was viewed by millions. The kneeling gesture generated controversy within the FBI but was also considered by some as a potential de-escalation strategy during the protest period.

In a statement released late Friday, the FBI Agents Association confirmed that over a dozen agents had been terminated, including military veterans with additional statutory protections. The association denounced the action as unlawful, called for a congressional investigation, and stated that the firings further demonstrated FBI Director Kash Patel's disregard for the legal rights of bureau employees.

"As Director Patel has repeatedly stated, nobody is above the law," the agents association remarked. "But rather than providing these agents with fair treatment and due process, Patel chose to again violate the law by ignoring these agents' constitutional and legal rights instead of following the requisite process."

An FBI spokesperson declined to comment on the matter Friday.

These terminations occur amid a larger personnel restructuring at the bureau as Director Patel works to reshape America's premier federal law enforcement agency.

Last month, five agents and high-level executives were known to have been summarily dismissed in a wave of removals that current and former officials say has contributed to declining morale within the organization.

Among those terminated was Steve Jensen, who helped oversee investigations into the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot. Another, Brian Driscoll, served as acting FBI director during the early Trump administration and resisted Justice Department requests for names of agents who investigated the January 6 incident.

Chris Meyer was incorrectly rumored on social media to have participated in the investigation of President Donald Trump's retention of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Walter Giardina was involved in high-profile investigations including the one concerning Trump adviser Peter Navarro.

A lawsuit filed by Jensen, Driscoll, and another dismissed FBI supervisor, Spencer Evans, alleged that Patel communicated his understanding that terminating agents based on cases they worked was "likely illegal" but claimed he was powerless to prevent it because the White House and Justice Department were determined to remove all agents who had investigated Trump.

At a congressional hearing last week, Patel denied taking orders from the White House regarding terminations and stated that anyone who had been fired failed to meet the FBI's professional standards.