Friday, January 8th, 2021
Four dead, 68 arrests
Capitol Police Chief resigns
After the storming of the US Capitol, criticism of the security forces has also grown louder. Now the police chief of the Capitol draws the consequences and takes off his hat. Meanwhile, the authorities count at least 68 arrests related to the rioting.
As a consequence of the storming of the US Congress by supporters of the elected President Donald Trump, the head of the police authority responsible for the security of parliament resigns. The head of the Capitol Police, Steven Sund, will give up his position on January 16, it said from the environment of the police department. House spokeswoman Nancy Pelosi had previously called for Sund’s resignation and accused him of not having adequately secured the Capitol.
Sund said on Thursday that his agency had only expected a rally by Trump supporters. He described the riots as “criminal, rampaging behavior”. He himself had never seen a comparable mission, added Sund, referring to the discovery of two pipe bombs, among other things.
The actions of the Capitol Police against the numerous demonstrators had drawn severe criticism. Observers wondered, among other things, why only a small number of officials appeared to be protecting the famous building. The security forces were quickly overwhelmed by the protesters. Apparently they had not requested assistance from the Washington city police in time. The US Senator from Hawaii, Brian Schatz, tweeted: “The security concept of the US Capitol needs a major overhaul”. The Capitol Police have already announced an internal investigation into the events.
Authorities have identified the dead
According to the latest information from the authorities, at least 68 people were arrested during the rioting. Washington police said 56 police officers had been injured, two of whom were being hospitalized. In addition to two pipe bombs, six firearms were also seized.
The police identified on Thursday the four dead who had been reported the day before. The woman who died as a result of a gunshot wound was therefore a 35-year-old from Maryland. The three people who died in unspecified “medical emergencies” were between the ages of 34 and 55. They came from Georgia, Alabama, and Pennsylvania.
Prosecutor Mike Sherwin told journalists over the phone that 55 criminal charges were filed within 36 hours in connection with the Capitol incidents. In most cases, the accusation is that certain areas have been unauthorized, but in some cases it is also about bodily harm or unauthorized possession of weapons. With the allegations, however, “all options are on the table,” including riot.
Sherwin emphasized that the prosecution was just beginning. Investigators viewed video footage. Hundreds of employees searched social media to identify potential offenders. According to the police, only twelve of those arrested came from Washington or the neighboring states of Maryland and Virginia. Another 50 came from more distant states, and six people had no registered address.
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