Anger replaces shock at Capitol security failures

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In images posted on social media and beamed around the world Wednesday, small clusters of U.S. Capitol Police officers retreated, fell away from violent assaults or simply moved aside as a large mob descended on the seat of American legislative power.

Officers at a U.S. Capitol perimeter fence tried to hold their line but failed as intruders overturned the barrier. Officers at another gate, seemingly overwhelmed, appeared to walk off as the intruders passed by. Another lone officer tried to hold back an advancing group before fleeing through the halls of Congress.

The collapse of security left many of the nation’s leaders cowering behind benches and fearing for their lives. But by Thursday, much of their shock had been supplanted by anger — with leading lawmakers demanding resignations from the Capitol’s top security officials and calling for broad investigations into the array of tactical failures under their watch.

Officials said five people died during the invasion, including a Capitol police officer and a protester who was shot by police.

Officer Brian Sicknick, 42, died Thursday after he was hit with a fire extinguisher, officials said.

He was an Iraq War veteran who joined the Capitol police in 2008.

Prosecutors on Friday said they had launched a federal murder investigation, but no charges were immediately filed in connection with his death.

Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund announced he would step down on Jan. 16, after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called for his resignation. Pelosi also announced the resignation of House Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving. And Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he “requested and received” the resignation of Senate Sergeant at Arms Michael Stenger.

Some lawmakers also cast blame higher, blaming President Trump directly for inciting the mob. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., chair of the House Administration Committee, suggested Trump and other administration officials may have contributed to the chaos as well by failing to quickly approve D.C. National Guard deployment.

“When it was necessary to get the guard deployed, the Department of Defense wouldn’t do it, and it was necessary for the bipartisan leadership in Congress and also the vice president to intervene to get that done,” Lofgren said. “By then we had rioters inside the Capitol.”

Lofgren said the hesitation came despite assurances from Sund earlier in the week that the Capitol would be secure with the National Guard standing by.

“We were told that was all in place, that there was no doubt they were able to keep us secure in the Capitol,” Lofgren said. “That was not correct.”

Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., said she had a nearly hourlong conversation with Sund days before, in which he assured her that security was not an issue and that the Capitol would be safe from the groups that had said they would be gathering.

“He assured me that they had it under control,” Waters said. “I am, just as most Americans, absolutely outraged by the fact that they were able to basically breach what was supposed to be one of the most well-secured buildings in the whole country.”

Lawmakers said there would be a deep investigation into the circumstances, including how the Capitol Police were so understaffed despite the fact that Trump backers and extremists had been telegraphing their intention to disrupt Wednesday’s Capitol proceedings for days.

The intruders stormed the Capitol as Congress was debating and signing off on states’ electoral votes affirming President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the November election.

Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, who heads a subcommittee that oversees Capitol Police, said he was told by Capitol law enforcement that its expectations for the day were “pretty vanilla” — with officials suggesting there may be “some dust-ups” or violations of the D.C. ban on guns, but nothing like what ultimately transpired.

“I’m livid about the whole thing,” Ryan said. “We were told no one was going to be anywhere close to the Capitol in the protests, and next thing you know, you turn on the TV and they’re swinging from the Capitol with flags.”

Law enforcement experts and police reform advocates agreed that vast changes are needed, though they didn’t agree on their form.

A coalition of police reform organizations said some videos from the Capitol suggested police were not only incompetent, but also potentially complicit in the siege and should be investigated for their actions. Other law enforcement experts said front-line officers were simply let down by their commanders, who failed to properly prepare.

Most agreed the Capitol Police should have been able to handle the threat posed given their substantial resources and the clear intelligence showing that those gathering were intent on causing destruction.

“There were not enough officers either inside or outside the Capitol to handle the crowd. We can back up from there and try to find out what the failures were, but it is obvious the officers were overrun,” said Terry Gainer, a former chief of the Capitol Police and former Senate sergeant at arms.

“There are a lot of resources they have access to. Why they weren’t there, I have no idea,” said Charles Ramsey, a policing consultant and former head of Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department.

“There is no reason why anybody should have been able to get inside and breach the U.S. Capitol.”

The New York Daily News contributed to this report.