On the 6th (local time), when pro-Trump protesters broke into Congress, Inspector Taric Khalid Johnson said to two men, “I’m so scared that my colleagues are trapped,” and the two men said “I will help.” [BBC]
– Inspector Taric Khalid Johnson, a member of the US Congressional Police Department, was suspended after the Capitol riots on the 6th. At that time, he was caught running around wearing a hat symbolizing President Donald Trump, and he was suspected of participating in the riot.
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– However, a reversal has occurred since then. It is revealed one after another that he did this deliberately to appease the excited protesters and rescue his colleagues.
On the 18th (local time), BBC News released a video of Inspector Johnson on the day of the incident. In the video, Lieutenant Johnson chatted with protesters and walked into the parliament with them. He also handed over his loudspeaker to a protester. He also wore a red hat with the phrase “Make America Great Again,” symbolizing Trump, and a so-called “MAGA” hat.
From here on, Lieutenant Johnson appears to be joining the riot and guiding them.
But what the BBC said was a little different. Earlier, he asked for help, saying to the intruders, “I want to help the police trapped in the building get out. They are afraid now.” In response, one protester said, “I can help. Let’s go together,” and Lieutenant Johnson said, “I’ll give you a megaphone, so please guide me.”
Former detective “wearing a hat to gain confidence in the protesters”
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![Inspector Taric Khalid Johnson handing over a megaphone to a man who wants to guide him to his colleagues. [BBC]](https://i0.wp.com/pds.joins.com/news/component/htmlphoto_mmdata/202101/19/b7432fa9-bfd9-4983-ae82-c34f71305b34.gif?w=900&ssl=1)
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Inspector Taric Khalid Johnson handing over a megaphone to a man who wants to guide him to his colleagues. [BBC]
– Subsequently, Lieutenant Johnson and two men who set out to help him broke through a crowd of protesters at the entrance to the Capitol to rescue the police. A man who was helping Lieutenant Johnson proudly waved the megaphone handed over to him to try to relieve the suspicions of other protesters.
The former Los Angeles Police Department detective Kirk Burkholter, who saw this scene, analyzed that “Inspector Johnson formed a consensus with the protesters and gained sympathy,” and “The act of handing over the megaphone seems to be an act to gain trust.”
Independent filmmaker Rico Rastaja who filmed the video said, “What he did was the best thing he could do at the time to rescue his co-workers. Thanks to that, the escaped colleagues are still alive, unlike others.” I defended Johnson.
![Parliamentary police officers exit the Capitol with Lieutenant Taric Khalid Johnson and others. Two men in beige jumpers guide them.[BBC]](https://i0.wp.com/pds.joins.com/news/component/htmlphoto_mmdata/202101/19/bd699452-cfe8-4636-845f-ff91ecf6d9b6.gif?w=900&ssl=1)
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Parliamentary police officers exit the Capitol with Lieutenant Taric Khalid Johnson. Two men in beige jumpers guide them.[BBC]
– Earlier, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) also released this video, and described the details of the party, Lieutenant Johnson. Inspector Johnson said, “I wore a’Mark’ hat’ to gain the trust of the protesters to reach out to my besieged colleagues.” He also claimed that the door was closed after entering the House, preventing further protesters from entering the House.
His colleagues also explained that “Inspector Johnson is a Democrat,” and that he is not a supporter of Trump.
Police “field command system, totally collapsed”
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![Pro-Trump protesters break into the Capitol.[AFP=연합뉴스]](https://i0.wp.com/pds.joins.com/news/component/htmlphoto_mmdata/202101/19/c0f302c2-7da0-4f58-bf0f-e2a56bdcfa66.jpg?w=900&ssl=1)
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Pro-Trump protesters break into the Capitol.[AFP=연합뉴스]
– The Associated Press cited four anonymous police officers at the scene and said that the command system at the time was completely broken, and that individuals had to decide how to deal with them on their own.
“We were completely alone,” said one police officer. Even before the incident, there have been warnings that protesters in support of Trump could take over Congress, but congressional police insisted that they had not heard any instructions from the command on the morning of the incident. The same was true even after thousands of protesters came. It is said that there were only instructions not to use lethal weapons outside the capitol.
Former detective Kirk told the BBC, “It’s a situation where we really had to face one-on-one (with no systems or weapons). “The police school doesn’t even teach how to deal with this situation,” he told the BBC.
It turned out that Stephen Sunder, the chief of the congressional police, who had to serve as a control tower, was with him after evacuating Vice President Mike Pence at the time of the incident. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also publicly criticized Sund. He is currently resigned.
A spokesman for the Capitol Hill told WSJ that “we are currently investigating warrant data related to Johnson and other police actions.” They are investigating allegations that some congressional police and some Republican lawmakers assisted intruders during the congressional occupation.
Reporter Jeong Eun-hye [email protected]
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