Capitol Police were warned of violence before riot, acting chief says

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Updated: 9:21 PM EST Feb 24, 2021
By MICHAEL BALSAMO and NOMAAN MERCHANT, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Capitol Police knew armed extremists were primed for violence at the iconic building on Jan. 6 and even provided officers with assault rifles to protect lawmakers, the acting chief acknowledged Wednesday. But the wild invasion of the Capitol was far worse than police expected, leaving them unprepared to fight it off.

A day earlier, her predecessor as chief testified that police expected an enraged but more typical protest crowd of Donald Trump supporters. But Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman said intelligence collected ahead of the riot prompted the agency to take extraordinary measures, including the special arming of officers, intercepting radio frequencies used by the invaders and deploying spies at the Ellipse rally where President Donald Trump was sending his supporters marching to the Capitol to “fight like hell.”

Pittman’s testimony, submitted ahead of a House hearing on Thursday, provides the most detailed account yet of the intelligence and preparations by U.S. Capitol Police ahead of the insurrection when thousands of pro-Trump rioters invaded the Capitol aiming to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s election victory over Trump.

Three days earlier, On Jan. 3, Capitol Police distributed an internal intelligence assessment warning that militia members, white supremacists and other extremist groups were likely to participate, that demonstrators would be armed and that it was possible they would come to the Capitol to try to disrupt the vote, Pittman says.

Read more: https://www.wcvb.com/article/capitol-police-were-warned-of-violence-before-riot-acting-chief-says/35622223

[HUAJIAO]

1. Insurrectionists, terrorists, NOT rioters ....!!

argghhh

[Paladin]

2. Race had EVERYTHING to do with this.

White privilege, yet again.

[heckles65]

3. Hell I knew there was likely to be trouble

...and I was 700 miles away with no access to Federal intelligence. I'm still shocked at the lack of preparation.

[niyad]

4. INSURRECTION. NOT "riot". Come on, ap, do try to get it correct.

[LiberalLovinLug]

5. So that's going to be their defense?

"Nobody could have known......" Sounds familiar.

[Hestia]

6. Instead of going after the woman who just started her job, go after M Flynn's brother on the

hot seat, publically testifying as to why he had the National Guard stand down for 4 hours due to optics of putting up razor wire and having armed guards at the capitol.

[Martin68]

7. I read the Washington Post every morning. It was entirely clear to me that right wing groups

were planning an armed rally and march against the electoral count in Congress. If I can understand that from just reading the newspaper, why couldn't the Capitol police have reached the same conclusion? All this stuff about "failed intelligence" is total bullshit.