6 Capitol police officers suspended for alleged roles in Jan. 6 riot
Published Date: 2/19/2021
Source: axios.com

Six Capitol police officers have been suspended with pay and 29 are under investigation for alleged conduct related to the Jan. 6 insurrection by pro-Trump rioters, a spokesperson said Thursday.

The big picture: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said earlier this month that Congress plans to establish a "9/11-type commission" to investigate the siege and report on "the preparedness and response of the United States Capitol Police and other federal, state, and local law enforcement."


The state of play: The spokesperson said that the suspensions and investigations were related to acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman's directive to reprimand officers who did not respond properly to the riots.

  • Last month, Pittman told Congress that the Capitol police "failed to meet its own high standards" during the riots and did not take the necessary steps to address the "strong potential for violence."
  • Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) said that one of the suspended officers took a selfie with one of the rioters, and that another one wore a "Make America Great Again" hat and directed people around the building, according to CNN.

What to watch: The Senate Homeland Security Committee and Senate Rules Committee will hold a joint hearing on Feb. 23 on the security failures that led to the Capitol breach.

Worth noting: "At least seven officers in five other departments across the country have come under internal investigations as their presence in Washington during the assault comes to light through social media or other means," CNN writes.

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that the six officers were suspended with pay.