Authorities have suspended several US Capitol Police officers as the facts begin to emerge regarding the chaos and violence in the Capitol Building on January 6, 2021. The bedlam that ensued on the day of the Electoral College vote certification resulted in the deaths of five Americans and the shooting death of one.
According to one congressional aide, eight separate investigations into the events that happened before, during, and after the shooting death of Ashli Babbitt have been launched, including probes into several officers’ actions in managing the protesters that breached the Capitol Building.
In raw video that has gone viral, Babbitt, a 14-year US Air Force veteran who had deployed on multiple tours to the Middle East, was shot by a US Capitol police officer. Babbitt was unarmed. She died at the scene.
#CapitolRiots NEW: US Attorney Michael Sherwin confirms @CBSNews his office has opened a formal, federal excessive force investigation related to the shooting death of Ashli Babbitt who was shot by US Capitol Police Wednesday within the Capitol building. Sherwin has assigned
— Catherine Herridge (@CBS_Herridge) January 9, 2021
Sunday, former US Capitol Police chief, Steven Sund – who resigned after his departments dismal performance at the Capitol Building on January 6, told reporters that congressional security officials denied his requests to put the DC National Guard on standby before the joint session of Congress.
Acting US Capitol Police chief Yogananda Pittman issued a statement Monday night saying “several” officers had been suspended.
“The Department also has been actively reviewing video and other open-source materials of some USCP officers and officials that appear to be in violation of Department regulations and policies,” Pittman said. “Our Office of Professional Responsibility will investigate these behaviors for disciplinary action, up to, and including, termination.”
The suspensions of the officers come as several law enforcement agencies have launched probes into whether law enforcement officers from several agencies took part in the Capitol Hill mayhem.
Two US Capitol Police officers were suspended and up to 15 more are under investigation for their behavior during last week's riot https://t.co/2t4tMOsCgv
— CNN (@CNN) January 11, 2021
Congressional leaders in both houses have called for investigations into the perceived security failures that day, including the deaths of one police officer and four civilians, including Babbitt and three others who succumbed to medical emergencies.