Capitol Police rejected offers of federal help to quell mob

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By COLLEEN LONG, LOLITA BALDOR, MICHAEL BALSAMO, and NOMAAN MERCHANT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Three days before supporters of President Donald Trump rioted at the Capitol, the Pentagon asked the U.S Capitol Police if it needed National Guard manpower. And as the mob descended on the building Wednesday, Justice Department leaders reached out to offer up FBI agents. The police turned them down both times, according to senior defense officials and two people familiar with the matter.

Despite plenty of warnings of a possible insurrection and ample resources and time to prepare, the Capitol Police planned only for a free speech demonstration.

Still stinging from the uproar over the violent response by law enforcement to protests last June near the White House, officials also were intent on avoiding any appearance that the federal government was deploying active duty or National Guard troops against Americans.

The result is the U.S. Capitol was overrun Wednesday and officers in a law enforcement agency with a large operating budget and experience in high-security events protecting lawmakers were overwhelmed for the world to see. Four protesters died, including one shot inside the building. A Capitol Police officer died Thursday after being injured in the Wednesday melee.



Capitol police officers stand outside of fencing that was installed around the exterior of the Capitol grounds, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021 in Washington. The House and Senate certified the Democrat's electoral college win early Thursday after a violent throng of pro-Trump rioters spent hours Wednesday running rampant through the Capitol. A woman was fatally shot, windows were bashed and the mob forced shaken lawmakers and aides to flee the building, shielded by Capitol Police. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-riots-coronavirus-pandemic-55972c6be7b819f46ec0ec55addd64b7

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The fix was in.

[SheltieLover]

1. Absolutely!

And immediately apparent!

[dchill]

33. I know, right?

News casters seem so puzzled about the "failures."

[SheltieLover]

34. Gawd

I don't have tv service for this very reason. I do not suffer fools gladly.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

2. Five people died because tRump implicitly or explicitly planned and ordered it this way

Capitol Police Chief Sund is a tRump loyalist and probably was conspiring, since this seems such a blatant dereliction of duty to ignore all the social media and not plan properly.

[soothsayer]

5. I think it's more a sin of commission than of omission

I don’t think they ignored the social media stuff. I think they were charmed into letting the “protestors” “do their thing” in the capitol building. Probably said it was just a photo op or something.

We shall see.

Either way, people in charge made it/let it happen. Gosh I hope we find out.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

7. There needs to be massive investigation, multiple turns at being questioned, timelines, placements

The movements of the rioters can be tracked to groups of rooms due to phone cell localization of cell transmitters inside the Capitol.

Map it all out in detail. Who was where when. Find the murderers of Officer Sicknick. Charge. Prosecute. Convict. Sentence. Incarcerate.

Get every bit of paperwork and records and emails, etc. involved in planning this horror. And come down especially heavily on any coverup that might happen.

Despite being a tRump supporter, Sicknick died protecting lawmakers' and staffers' lives. Probably gave people in the House chamber time to barricade and prevent kidnappings and physical harm.

Honour Sicknick by doing a total complete thorough investigation top to bottom and back up to the top.

[soothsayer]

8. Not even treating it as a crime scene

[Bernardo de La Paz]

16. Good point. Letting rioters just walk out of the Capitol, too.

It might have been a good strategy to get them out rather than scare them about being arrested so they hole up in offices or set fires as diversions, etc.

We, the world, are very lucky the building was not set on fire.

[soothsayer]

24. Could have kettled them on the way out...if there had been reinforcements

But just cleaning everything up instead of going over everything with CIS folks is just... bizarre.

[csziggy]

32. In one of the interviews about the clearing of the Capitol

It was said that the DC police who did the clearing simply did not have the personnel to arrest people as they came out of the building. The priority was to make sure the Capitol and the members of Congress were safe.

I would not be surprised if there were officers assigned to photograph every single person coming out of the building. Between that, news photos, social media postings, and cell phone records by the insurrectionists themselves, the majority of the people involved should be identified and charged.

[Lonestarblue]

23. The FBI should immediately search the White House for any burner phones.

Trump has been known to use them. If this was coordinated by someone in the White House, there will be records of phone numbers called. And they should actually arrest Trump for insurrection and possibly treason. Of course, none of that will happen because Republicans won’t let it. By Jan. 20, much evidence will disappear.

I read yesterday that Trump is so angry that his coup failed that now all he wants to do is destroy anything and everything he can. I think we can expect some destruction of priceless items in the White House. I wish he could just be taken into custody and squirreled away somewhere like Camp David where he can’t do so much harm.

[birdographer]

27. They need to find and remove

his stash of Adderall and cocaine and amphetamines. Doesn't he drink 12 diet cokes a day? Perhaps you see where one could go with that. Basically he needs to be sedated.

[Traildogbob]

38. Bengaaaaaaaaziiiii!

How about 18 hour drilling of Trump under oath. No diet Coke’s, cheese burders of diaper changes.

[soothsayer]

3. Indeed

[Squinch]

4. They're putting out conflicting stories now. There's another thread with an article that says the

Capitol Police said no to offers of help in the days before the insurrection.

Wonder if we'll ever get the truth out of those bastards.

[soothsayer]

6. Yeah I thought the DoD squashed it from the get go

[dem4decades]

10. Can pardoned officials be required to appear and testify?

Can they be brought up on charges after they are pardoned?

Like if they lie or are found to have committed other crimes?

[soothsayer]

12. They have to testify if pardoned

They can’t hide behind any protections. There’s no pleading the fifth.

[dem4decades]

14. And if they don't can they be charged?

[soothsayer]

15. Yeah then you can lock them up

Also i believe pardons have to be specific, so I suppose you could find additional crimes that would stick.

[blueinredohio]

9. Who turned down help?

The capitol police or DoD? That should be a start of where the coup began.

[twodogsbarking]

11. Anyone think Trump wasn't behind the lack of police?

Anyone?

[Vinca]

13. "The police" means the Trump-appointed Chief of Police.

He was probably ordered to let it happen by the Great Orange Fuehrer. If you watch the clips, not all of the cops are compliant. There are some - obviously - but there are others who got clobbered and the one cop died. In one clip you can see a female, black cop struggling to hold them back after they got in the building. The police involved need to be investigated person by person. Selfie guy is a traitor, as are the guys who just let the terrorists waltz in.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

18. I made the same mistake. tRump did not appoint the Chief, but he is a tRump loyalist

Chief Sund would have filled the ranks with loyalists every chance he got, favoured some promotions over others, etc.

He would have had to have been the one to deny offers of help from other forces and not acted on lower officers requests for assistance.

Sund would have been in charge of planning for a huge event like this.

Sund would have ordered planning for a peaceful rally, which is the planning that occurred, and not prepared for invasion.

Sund would have wilfully ignored the loud alarm bells radiating out of social media that everyone was aware of. Calls for arrests, hangings, "burn it all down".

Sund ignored Maxine Waters' explicit warnings.

Sund knew. Sund has blood on his hands and should be charged and prosecuted and convicted and incarcerated.

[Vinca]

30. Thanks for letting me know that. There's so much info it's all a blur. In any case, the

Capitol Police refused the offer of federal help for that day so that says it all. Outrageous.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

17. They didn't want to offend or hurt the proud boyz widdle feelings....

with a show of force to insure law and order.

I want to know who paid for that huge stage, giant video screens and sound system that allowed tRump to show his ass and rile up all those deplorables.


KY......

[Thunderbeast]

19. How many people are serving long prison sentences

or worse, been executed as "accessories" to murder (that they did not commit) when a property crime "went wrong"?

Now that a murder is documented, will the hundreds of insurrectionists be accessories and legally culpable?

[ArizonaLib]

25. Guantanamo Bay is still open

Those Trumpers hate Americans more than those already there.

[SheltieLover]

35. Great place for shitstain & all traitors

[LiberalArkie]

20. Who knew what and what did they know?

[padah513]

21. If they're at fault then investigate and prosecute

But it seems to me that the train fell off the track AFTER Trump fed his dogs red meat and sicced them on the Capitol. Plenty of blame to go around and it will. but this is Trump's fiasco. For every second of the next thirteen days, let him alone own it.

[MrModerate]

22. Capitol Police leadership infiltrated by Trumptards? n/t

[world wide wally]

26. It only takes a handful of coordinated ring leaders to incite a passionate crowd.

There may have only been a relatively small number of actual operatives. Start with arresting every Proud Boy they have a picture of since we know they are organized enough to discuss plans and so forth.

[AllyCat]

28. Which of the Capitol Police have the key to let the murderous idiots in again?

How do we root out the traitors and support the ones who were actually doing their jobs?

[IsItJustMe]

29. Anyone doubt this was a set up? If you do, I want to talk to you about some lizard people.

[bucolic_frolic]

31. They needed riot police and rubber bullets and if that didn't work

it was time for live fire. I think they didn't escalate because they were outmanned, and they had to assume some lawbreakers were armed.

Also I read several posts last week about the 3500 + 200 National Guard was inadequate. If we could figure it out, why not those who are supposed to know what they're doing?

[Bengus81]

36. Wonder if FIVE dead are enough for them to reconsider for Jan 20th??

Or wait...violent THUG Trump supporters will probably just be having a picnic in DC on that day.

[Kablooie]

37. Good report on this from the Daily podcast from the NY Times this morning.

Also explains how the whole thing was planned and Trumpees were openly claiming that they would occupy the Capitol.

[liberalhistorian]

41. Which is one reason why

it's so infuriating that so many Trumping and RW media and GOP pols are claims that it was really a false flag operation by paid antifa crowds. And I just love how some are even claiming that BLM was also involved. How many POC did you see of the tens of thousands who participated? Yeah, not very bright lights on the stage are they?

[Barbara2423]

39. Can you say "inside job".

When I first saw this I thought it was a movie and with disbelief realized it was not.

[ck4829]

40. K&R