WASHINGTON (AP) – The police were heavily outnumbered.
Only a few dozen guarded the western front of the Capitol when they were overrun by thousands of pro-Trump rioters bent on breaking into the building.
Armed with metal pipes, pepper spray and other weapons, mobs forced their way along the thin police line, and a rioter threw a fire extinguisher at an officer, according to video that was widely distributed on YouTube.
“They’re entering the Capitol tonight! They come in, ”exclaims the filming man.
Moments later, they broke the border and rioters soon broke into the building, taking over the rooms of the House and Senate, and running wildly in Statuary Hall and other sacred symbols of democracy. The crowd plundered the place, smash windows and wave Trump, American and Confederate flags. The lawmakers who voted to confirm President-elect Joe Biden’s victory had to go into hiding for hours.
During the fight, police officers were injured, ridiculed, ridiculed and threatened. A Capitol police officer, Brian Sicknick, died Thursday night of the injuries sustained in the riot. The melee was set in motion by a mob of supporters of President Donald Trump who professed their love of law enforcement and mocked the massive police reform protests that shocked the nation last year after the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
“We backed you up over the summer,” one person yelled at three officers standing against a door by dozens of men yelling to get out of the way. “When the whole country hated you, we got behind you!”
The disaster shook the world and left the country on edge, forcing the resignation of three top security officials from the Capitol for failing to stop the breach. Lawmakers have demanded a review of the operations and an FBI briefing on what they called a “terrorist attack.”
Sicknick was the fifth person to die as a result of the violence in the Capitol.
A California woman was shot by the Capitol Police and three other people died after “medical emergencies” related to the breach, including at least those who died of an apparent heart attack.
Sicknick, 42, was hit in the head with a fire extinguisher during a fight, two law enforcement officers said, although it was not clear if he was the officer shown in the video. The officials were unable to publicly discuss the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Another disturbing video shows a bloodied police officer screaming for help while being crushed by rioters in the Capitol. The young officer is trapped between a riot shield and a metal door. Bleeding from his mouth, he cries out in pain and shouts, “Help!”
Other footage shows the police completely overwhelmed by rioters pushing, kicking and punching their way into the building. In a stunning video, a lone police officer tries to stop a crowd of protesters from entering the lobby. He fails.
People attacked the police with pipes, sprayed irritants and even planted live bombs found in the area.
Sicknick’s family said on Friday that he wanted to be a police officer all his life. He served with the New Jersey Air National Guard before joining the Capitol Police in 2008. Many details of the incident remain unknown, and Sicknick’s family urged the public and news media not to make his death a political issue.
Still, the riot – and Sicknick’s death – brought renewed attention to Capitol Police, a force of more than 2,300 officers and civilian personnel that protects the Capitol, legislators, personnel and visitors. The agency has an annual budget of approximately $ 515 million.
Three days before the riot, the Pentagon provided manpower to the National Guard. And as the crowd entered the building on Wednesday, Justice Department leaders reached out to offer FBI agents. Capitol police turned them down both times, according to senior defense officials and two people familiar with the case.
Despite numerous warnings of a possible uprising and ample resources and time to prepare, the police only planned a demonstration of freedom of expression.
Like many agencies, the Capitol Police have been hit hard by COVID-19, with frequent schedule changes for agents and many forced to work overtime to fill rosters. The pandemic has put pressure on police to enter the new session of Congress and the January 20 inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.
Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund, who resigned on Thursday under pressure from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other congressional leaders, defended his department’s response, saying agents “acted bravely when confronted by thousands of individuals involved in violent insurrection.” Two other senior security officials, Senate Sergeant at Arms Michael Stenger and House Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving, also resigned.
On Friday, prosecutors had filed 14 cases in federal district court and 40 others in the District of Columbia Superior Court for a variety of crimes ranging from assaulting police officers to entering restricted areas of the U.S. Capitol, stealing federal property and threatening lawmakers. Prosecutors said more cases remained sealed, dozens more people were wanted by federal agents, and the US attorney in Washington swore that “all options were on the table” for charges, including possible incitement.
Among the accused was Richard Barnett, an Arkansas man who, in a common photograph in Pelosi’s office, sat with his boots on the desk. He also wrote a disparaging letter to Pelosi. Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen called Barnett’s photo a “shocking image” and “revolting.”
“Those who are proven to have committed criminal acts during the storming of the Capitol will receive justice,” said Rosen.
Also charged was a state legislator in West Virginia who posted videos online showing him making his way around the Capitol, bumping his fist into a police officer, then running around the roundabout saying “Our house!” The lawmaker, Derrick Evans, was arrested at his home by the FBI on Friday and charged with trespassing on banned federal property.
Gus Papathanasiou, chairman of the Capitol Police Officers’ Union, said he was “incredibly proud of the individual officers whose actions protected the lives of hundreds of members of Congress and their staff.”
Once the Capitol’s breakthrough was inevitable, officers prioritized lives over property, bringing people to safety, he said. No member of Congress or their staff were injured. Our officers did their job. Our leadership did not. Our law enforcement partners who assisted us have been remarkable. “
Representative Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, who heads a subcommittee that oversees the Capitol Police’s budget, said on Friday that regular officers “have been put in an incredibly dangerous situation. And that’s really where my frustration comes into play. ″
Sund and other leaders are charged with protecting lawmakers, “but they also need to ensure that ordinary members are placed in situations where they are as safe as possible and get the support they need. And clearly that’s not the case, ”Ryan said.
Pelosi ordered flags from the Capitol that were lowered to half-staff in honor of Sicknick.
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Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro in Washington, Nomaan Merchant in Houston and Derek Karikari in New York contributed to this report.