Capitol police were unprepared for riot police, according to authorities

Some riot police fired what he called “chemical irritants” at officers guarding the complex to gain access to the building.

The small group of Capitol police officers guarding the building as lawmakers began a joint session of Congress to count the 2020 election votes was quickly below the number in which riots approached the building. Once inside, they burst into lawmakers ’offices and roamed freely.

Officials said they had expected a recurrence of relatively minor fights between far-right and far-left factions that erupted after dark in similar protests in November.

“Capitol police were not prepared for the size of the protest,” said David Gomez, a retired FBI executive. Once the riots entered the Capitol, other federal law enforcement agencies responded slowly, either out of respect for President Trump or a lack of experience in dealing with riots, which is not their main mission, Gomez said. “Until they breached the Capitol, there was a possibility that it was a great protest that did not cross those barricades. Once they did [law enforcement personnel] they were overwhelmed and couldn’t respond quickly enough, ”he said.

Department of Defense officials had previously said they anticipated that about 350 members of the DC National Guard would be enough to support Washington, DC police during this week’s protests, primarily to help control traffic. They wanted to avoid the prospect of having U.S. military personnel on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, and ordered officers not to walk east of 9th Street, in central Washington, a few blocks from the compound. of the Capitol, officials said.

Following the breach of the building, the Department of Defense announced it would activate another 1,100 CC National Guard troops, but it was unclear whether they would be deployed to the Capitol or anywhere else in the district.

The response was a marked difference from how the Trump administration responded to racial injustice protests last year, in which federal agents with riot gear sometimes came out strong. In June, for example, federal police officers were widely criticized for using tear gas to remove a peaceful crowd from Lafayette Square, near the White House, shortly before Trump visited St. Louis Episcopal Church. in the park, to stay out with a Bible.

“We have fully activated the DC National Guard to help enforce federal and local laws as they work to peacefully resolve the situation,” Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller said. “We are ready to provide additional support, as needed and appropriate, as requested by local authorities.”

On Wednesday afternoon, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, said his state would send 1,000 National Guard soldiers to DC. “New York is ready to help secure the will of the American people” he tweeted.

Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen condemned the Capitol events as “an intolerable attack on a fundamental institution of our democracy.” Rosen said the Justice Department sent agents from the FBI, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Marshals Service to assist Capitol Police.

In addition, officers from the Washington Metropolitan Police Department were sent to the Capitol to help restore order, clean up the building and establish a perimeter, Mayor Muriel Bowser said. At his request, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia state police had deployed to help and invoked a mutual aid agreement with police departments in several surrounding jurisdictions. On Wednesday night, there were at least 52 arrests, including four for carrying unlicensed pistols, one for having a prohibited weapon and 47 for violations of curfew and illegal entry. Twenty-six of the arrests occurred at the U.S. Capitol precinct, police said.

The U.S. Capitol Police is the federal law enforcement agency that protects members of Congress and Congress buildings, with approximately 1,900 officers, according to its website.

The incidents that are normally encountered are smaller than those of other police departments that patrol the streets and investigate cases, but the force expanded its ranks after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and, again, when it merged with Congress Library police in 2009.

They were on the scene and suffered injuries themselves when Rep. Steve Scalise (R, La.) Was shot in 2017 at an outdoor practice for the annual charity convention. Lawmakers also present at the practice have attributed their survival to the actions of the Capitol police.

Senator Rand Paul (R., Ky.), Who was in the beating cage at the time of the shooting, told MSNBC at the time, “I probably heard 50, 60 shots,” and added, “Probably everyone would have died except for the Capitol police. “

Still, Wednesday’s non-compliance with pro-Trump riots raises questions about whether Capitol police are equipped to deal with more widespread threats and violence.

Former Senate historian Donald Ritchie said Capitol police could be excused for misreading pro-Trump people. “This is totally out of character for the way Americans protest or Americans gather or show their political sentiments,” said Ritchie, who noted that the Capitol has seen massive protests over countless issues throughout its history. “I’m surprised it happened,” he said, “for the same reasons the police were surprised it happened.”

The coronavirus pandemic also posed new challenges for the police department.

Because Congress has been open to business during the pandemic, at least a dozen agents had tested positive for coronavirus in May 2020 and were concerned about its working conditions, the Wall Street Journal reported earlier.

—Nancy Youssef and Jess Bravin contributed to this article.

Write to Aruna Viswanatha to [email protected] and Sadie Gurman to [email protected]

Corrections and amplifications
The unrest took place in Portland, Oregon, last year. An earlier version of this article incorrectly said it took place this year. (Corrected on January 6)