The special police force to protect the Capitol in Washington has been severely criticized in an investigative report on the storming of the parliament building in January. For example, the police would have ignored warnings about the impending escalation and used outdated material.
The Capitol, where the US Congress sits and meets, was stormed on January 6 by supporters of then President Donald Trump. They were already protesting in front of the building against what they saw as unfair presidential elections. Trump lost it to Joe Biden.
Inspector General Michael Bolton’s 104-page report states that the intelligence arm of the force had warned three days earlier that Congress could be targeted by Trump’s supporters. For example, an internet forum stated that they were using a map of the tunnel system of the parliament building.
However, that warning did not end up in the script drawn up by the police for January 6. On the contrary, it stated that there were no known specific threats related to the session of Congress, which was to approve the election results that day. According to the report, this contradiction has to do with dysfunction within the police.
Also on the day itself, indications that Trump supporters wanted to attack the building have been ignored. During the assault, four rioters and a cop were killed.
Police used outdated equipment
The report also states that officers were not allowed to use certain tactics because they were prohibited by the police leadership. For example, they were not allowed to use flash grenades that are intended to disorient people.
Once the riots broke out, it turned out that some ammunition, such as tear gas, had expired. The weapons were also so outdated that officers were reluctant to use them.
Some officers were unable to take shields because the bus containing them was locked. Other shields were obsolete and unusable, forcing many officers to confront the rioters without adequate protective equipment.
The report will be discussed during a hearing in Congress on Thursday. Then also Inspector General Bolton will testify.
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