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UMass Memorial Health Care investigating whether employees attended Trump-inspired riot in US Capitol

The Worcester campus of UMass Memorial Medical Center is part of UMass Memorial Health Care Network.Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff/file 2015

UMass Memorial Medical Health Care said Friday that an employee who was on the grounds of the US Capitol on Wednesday during the Trump-inspired violence that led to the deaths of five people, including a Capitol Police officer, was no longer affiliated with the organization.

The nonprofit issued a brief statement Friday, making it the first Massachusetts company to publicly acknowledge a connection between its employees and the storming of the Capitol that delayed congressional approval of the 2020 presidential election results.

“Over the past 24 hours we have received numerous expressions of concern through social media regarding a UMass Memorial caregiver who may have been involved in this week’s violent events at the nation’s capital,” UMass Memorial said in a brief statement. “That employee is no longer a part of our organization.”

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Earlier Friday, UMass Memorial said on Twitter that it was investigating claims that an employee was involved in the insurrection.

“We have been made aware that one or more of our employees may have been involved in the violence that took place at our nation’s Capitol,” the company tweeted. “We strongly condemn such behavior if true and have initiated an investigation.”

UMass Memorial Health Care is associated with the state’s UMass Medical School, but its workers are not state employees. The statements did not include the names of any employees.

Capitol and Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department have together made more than 85 arrests, but by Friday afternoon only one of the publicly identified arrestees had ties to Massachusetts, according to the agencies and court records.

The Metropolitan Police said Pittsfield resident David L. Ross was charged with “unlawful entry” onto the grounds of the Capitol Wednesday and was also charged with violating the 6 p.m. curfew that Washington’s mayor, Muriel Bowser, imposed after the storming of the Capitol.

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Whether Ross was among those who forced their way into the Capitol building or whether he was among those who stayed outside was not known Friday. The two police reports summarizing his arrest used boilerplate language, except to note that he was arrested for violating the curfew around 7:15 p.m. while on First Street in the District.

Ross, 33, appeared in DC Superior Court Thursday where not-guilty pleas were entered to the charges.

A Buzzfeed News journalist reported that Ross was charged for entering the Capitol and that he appeared to be confused during his arraignment. Ema O’Connor, in a series of Twitter posts describing the arraignments of Trump supporters arrested during the chaos Wednesday, said Ross initially did not fully understand his legal rights and needed them explained before he entered a plea.

After Ross’ rights were explained to him, he pleaded not guilty, but then he appeared to be confused about the crime he was charged with. “Where was I entering?” Ross said, according to O’Connor. He was told that his lawyer would explain later.

Another New England man, Thomas R. Gallagher, 61, of Bridgewater, N.H., was arrested Wednesday by the Capitol police and charged with unlawful entry, the agency said.

Correspondent Jeremy C. Fox contributed to this story.



John R. Ellement can be reached at john.ellement@globe.com. Follow him @JREbosglobe.