Acting Capitol Police Chief: Department Knew Of Armed Threats On Jan. 6 But Was Underprepared

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: New York Times, via DCist

JAN 26, 4:24 PM

Acting Capitol Police Chief: Department Knew Of Armed Threats On Jan. 6 But Was Underprepared

Elliot C. Williams https://twitter.com/ecwilliams30
Jordan Pascale https://twitter.com/jwpascale

The acting chief of the Capitol Police apologized on behalf of the department to Congress on Tuesday, outlining the department's security failures during the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol.

In a private meeting with the House Appropriations Committee, acting chief Yogananda Pittman said the department "failed to meet its own high standards as well as yours." Pittman was not the acting chief during the attack.

According to testimony obtained by the New York Times, Pittman said that about 1,200 officers were on duty during the attack on the Capitol, a number she said was "no match for the tens of thousands of insurrectionists." (1)

The Capitol Police knew in advance that the attackers planned to be armed, according to the testimony. ... "By January 4th, the Department knew that the January 6th event would not be like any of the previous protests held in 2020," read Pittman's testimony. "We knew that militia groups and white supremacists organizations would be attending. We also knew that some of these participants were intending to bring firearms and other weapons to the event. We knew that there was a strong potential for violence and that Congress was the target."

{snip}

(1) https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/01/26/us/biden-trump-impeachment#capitol-police-national-guard

Read more: https://dcist.com/story/21/01/26/us-capitol-police-armed-threats-insurrection-dc-security/

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U.S. Capitol Police knew that groups intended to bring weapons on Jan. 6. The acting chief in written testimony: "We knew that there was a strong potential for violence and that Congress was the target."
https://dcist.com/story/21/01/26/us-capitol-police-armed-threats-insurrection-dc-security/

Link to tweet

[EnterwebsJohn]

1. So it would be logical to think that the Capitol Police are

always unprepared. Then why are they there?

[Demsrule86]

3. They were not unprepared during other demonstrations and events...where they arrested

and literally carried handicapped folks out into waiting paddy wagons...they are lying. There was complicity.

[hadEnuf]

4. It strongly appears that they were deliberately left unprepared for the attempted coup.

Where is that former POS Trump-humping chief? Somebody needs to make him start squealing and giving names.

[bucolic_frolic]

5. Many people on Du and Twitter said this the weekend before

The reported strength was viewed as grossly inadequate.