Buzzfeed News: These Black Capitol Police Officers Describe Fighting Off "Racist Ass Terrorists"

[Wicked Blue]

Emmanuel Felton BuzzFeed News Reporter
Posted on January 9, 2021, at 4:32 p.m. ET

The first glimpse of the deadly tragedy that was about to unfold came at 9 a.m. on the morning of the insurrection for one Black veteran of the US Capitol Police. But it didn't come from his superiors — instead the officer had to rely on a screenshot from Instagram sent to him by a friend.

"I found out what they were planning when a friend of mine screenshot me an Instagram story from the Proud Boys saying, 'We're breaching the capitol today, guys. I hope y'all ready.'" The officer, who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation from his superiors, told BuzzFeed News that it was just a sign of the chaos that was to come, which saw officers regularly finding themselves unprepared and then outmanned and overpowered by the mob.

The officer said that while the department's upper management had been telling them to prepare for Wednesday's storming of the Capitol like they would for any other protest, that Instagram post sent a clear message: this wasn’t going to be just some kind of free speech protest, this was going to be a fight.

***

“You have the nerve to be holding a blue lives matter flag, and you are out there fucking us up,” he told one group of protestors he encountered inside the Capitol. “[One guy] pulled out his badge and he said, ‘we're doing this for you.’ Another guy had his badge. So I was like, ‘well, you gotta be kidding.’”

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/emmanuelfelton/black-capitol-police-racism-mob?ref=bfnsplash

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Damn, that's the saddest thing I've read all day.

[SWBTATTReg]

2. So these thugs planned this invasion, with perhaps someone in the WH who was in the know too?

25th Amendment this POS out of the WH or impeach him, now or later.

[Denzil_DC]

3. Two key paras for me:

While some of the images from that day appeared to show officers standing by to let the mob into the Capitol building, the veteran officer said that they had fought them off for two hours before the attackers eventually gained access. The officer, who has been with the department for more than a decade, said that many of the widely spread images of smiling marauders, many in absurd costumes, wandering around the halls downplayed how well prepared some of the rioters were to overtake the building, and even capture and kill Congress members.

“That was a heavily trained group of militia terrorists that attacked us,” he said. “They had radios, we found them, they had two-way communicators and earpieces. They had bear spray. They had flash bangs ...They were prepared. They strategically put two IEDs, pipe bombs in two different locations. These guys were military trained. A lot of them were former military,” the veteran said, referring to two suspected pipe bombs that were found outside the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee.

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/emmanuelfelton/black-capitol-police-racism-mob

[underpants]

10. The cops being in the crowd is what worries me about Inauguration Day

One of several things.

[iluvtennis]

27. ++++ agree. nt

[Kitchari]

4. Powerful

His report is true and comes from the heart

[nolabear]

5. What a mess we're in.

[Nevilledog]

6. Kick

[Cha]

7. Excellent to hear from this

Capitol Policeman.

the deadly terrorists don't care about anyone or anything except overthrowing the Government & installing their Stupid Fascist Swamp Fuck.

[OhNo-Really]

18. Sons of Anarchy etc. deplorable was too nice a term

[LeftInTX]

8. So a member of congress can bring in as many people as they want

and they don't have to go through security?

Which congress/senate member did this?

[demmiblue]

9. K&R

Heartbreaking and infuriating.

[Traildogbob]

11. All these

Assholes should be tracked down like we did Bin Laden. We were a step away from mass murder and bombings. Total terrorist, grinning and walking away like it was just a tailgate party.

[bullwinkle428]

12. I felt terrified for that black officer that was doing his best to try and hold off

those assholes coming up the stairs after him. He absolutely did NOT want to resort to any kind of deadly force, no matter the circumstance. I later learned that piece of shit leading that particular charge was from Iowa - I feel nothing but an utter sense of shame and embarrassment for my state.

[appalachiablue]

15. Got to me too, I was very worried and so glad he made it..

[AllaN01Bear]

13. ex military should be re activated and charged and sent to levanworth. the cops should be tried,

jailed and banned from serving on any police force ever again. period .

[dalton99a]

14. A must read.

[BobTheSubgenius]

16. This whole fustercluck is WAY more convoluted than it first appeared.

What a f'ing mess.

[OhNo-Really]

17. Wow! That a powerful account. Sad & maddening

[Wicked Blue]

19. Buzzfeed News does some outstanding journalism nt

[OhNo-Really]

24. Agreed. Nt

[dhill926]

20. we had better be VERY prepared on Inauguration Day....

any insurrection should be put down early and HARD. Martyr the fuck out of them if necessary, I could care less....

[Wicked Blue]

21. I strongly feel they should hold it inside the White House

and I absolutely think Joe Biden should NOT ride down on an Amtrak train. The tracks are too vulnerable. I wish someone on DU who had an in with the Biden campaign could tell them that.

[Evolve Dammit]

22. This man needs to be interviewed in a live hearing in Congress asap

[Amaryllis]

23. Must-read article. Stunning and highly informative. Capitol police were set up.

[Historic NY]

25. He should have capped them

I am being frank he gave up the high ground...he was then placed in the position of running from them rather than a strategic retreat. I'm surprised he never pulled his weapon, at the point he was defending himself not the building. I don't know what they are training down at FLECO.

[mainer]

26. Put this man in charge.

We can’t trust the white officers.

[tirebiter]

28. In one scene I saw a crowd chasing a black cop

up a flight of stairs. He wasn’t letting anyone through voluntarily.