Law enforcement and the military are among more than 100 people indicted by federal authorities in connection with the January riot.
35 U.S. Capitol police officers are being investigated for their actions during the January 6 riot in the Capitol, and six of them have been suspended for payment, the police department said in a statement Friday.
“Acting chief Yogananda Pittman has ordered that any member of her department whose conduct does not comply with the department’s code of conduct will be subjected to appropriate discipline,” spokesman John Stolnis said in the statement.
Details of the investigation were not given.
Five people, including a Capitol police officer, died in the violence last month when the crowd of former President Donald Trump supporters attacked the Capitol and overwhelmed security forces.
Supporters of US President Donald Trump protest in front of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 [Stephanie Keith/Reuters]Two police officers later committed suicide.
The rioters headed to the seat of the US Congress and temporarily prevented lawmakers from officially confirming President Joe Biden’s victory in the November 3, 2020 presidential election after Trump tried repeatedly to reverse that result.
The right-wing protesters went to Capitol Hill shortly after Trump addressed a crowd near the White House and told them, “We are fighting. We fight like hell. And if you don’t fight like hell, you will have no more land. “
According to information from congressional assistants and some lawmakers, investigators have been investigating the response of Capitol police officers and investigating whether any of the officers may have helped the rioters.
Just days after the attack, it was revealed that two officers had been suspended, according to Democratic representative Tim Ryan. One had taken a selfie with a protester while another wore a Trump supportive hat and led protesters through the building, Ryan told reporters.
‘Selfie Cop’ and 5 other Capitol police officers, 29 others suspended, are being investigated for roles in insurgent uprisings https://t.co/tYft2V21eJ
– Mediaite (@Mediaite) February 19, 2021
The rioters saw numerous current and former police officers and military personnel involved, according to the filing.
Far right military, law enforcement
The Associated Press found on January 15 that at least 21 US Army and law enforcement officials were present at the riot.
Two Virginia police officers were also charged with forced entry and disorderly behavior on the grounds of the Capitol. They were suspended and later fired.
The far right has long made overtures to law enforcement and military personnel. Alleged leaders of the Oath Keepers, an anti-government paramilitary group that believes a shadowy conspiracy is working to rob US citizens of their rights, have been charged with conspiracies related to the uprising.
The group claims “tens of thousands of current and former law enforcement officers and military veterans as members,” says the Southern Poverty Law Center, although the oath guardian claims are difficult to confirm.
An Aug. 27 report by the Brennan Center for Justice alleged that law enforcement efforts to reduce bias and racism did too little to target the far-right side of the police force.
It was unclear whether the two suspended officers Ryan spoke of were among the 35 currently under investigation, or whether they were trying to quell the crowd through personal contact with rioters.
A week after the uprising, the democratically controlled House of Representatives charged Trump with inciting a rebellion, his second impeachment.
The Senate couldn’t convict him when most Republicans voted for an acquittal. In the vote, 57 lawmakers – 50 Democrats and 7 Republicans – voted for condemnation, but 43 Republicans voted for discharge. A two-thirds majority is required for the conviction.
The seven Republican votes are the most ever convicted of a president of the same party.
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