Acting Capitol Police chief told Congress department ‘failed’ during riot



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Acting U.S. Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman called the insurgency a “terrorist attack” and offered it “a sincere apology on behalf of the department,” according to his prepared remarks at the Department. ” A briefing for lawmakers on the House Appropriations Committee with a role in security on January 6.

Pittman also said the department was aware of a “high potential for violence” targeting Congress and had failed to take appropriate action to prevent it.

Pittman’s admission comes as U.S. Capitol Police officers debate whether to hold a vote of no confidence targeting department heads who were working on the day of the insurgency, including Pittman. A source told CNN that Pittman was the chief of operations on the day of the siege on Capitol Hill and “never took control of the radio or ordered the officers to do in any way.”
Agents told CNN they felt abandoned and betrayed by the department’s leadership.

“Let me be clear: the Department should have been better prepared for this attack,” Pittman said Tuesday. On January 4, the Department knew that the January 6 event would not be like any of the previous protests held in 2020. We knew that white supremacist militias and organizations would attend. We also knew that some of these attendees intended to bring firearms and other weapons to the event. “

In the end, Pittman took responsibility for the mistakes that were made in protecting the Capitol.

“As interim leader, I take responsibility for the mistakes made by the Department and I commit to this committee, Congress, the American people and my colleagues in the USCP, that we will do better at the future, but we have to make changes, ”she said.

Acting Sergeant-at-Arms Timothy Blodgett on Tuesday released a stark assessment of the security failures that have occurred, both in preparing for a protest of this nature and in responding to events as they unfold. were taking place, according to his statement prepared at Tuesday’s briefing to lawmakers.

“It is clear that the preparation has failed. Whether it is insufficient or conflicting intelligence, a lack of ability to translate that intelligence into action, insufficient preparation, or inadequate ability to mobilize partner agencies for immediate assistance, a range of events, once considered unfathomable, unfolded allowing our most sacred halls to be shattered. And, sadly, several lives have been lost, including Officer Brian Sicknick and Officer Howard Liebengood, ”Blodgett said in his remarks.

Pittman described four things that made the department ill-equipped to respond to the attack, including the lack of manpower. The acting chief said USCP agents did not have the right equipment on hand or easily accessible, and the building sealing process “may not have been systematically followed.” Finally, Pittman said the ministry was informed that communication over their radios and public address system was difficult to hear during the attack.

Since the insurgency, Pittman said the USCP has coordinated with the National Guard to secure the Capitol and the complex surrounding it and has “taken steps to ensure” that the USCP shares and receives critical information from its law enforcement partners. Pittman also said the department’s intelligence director now holds daily internal briefings with USCP officials.

Pittman said that in the future, “Capitol Hill’s security infrastructure must change and the Department needs access to additional resources – both labor and physical assets.”

This story has been updated.

CNN’s Zachary Cohen and Peter Nickeas contributed to this report.

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