Elmo wrote: Wed Jan 06, 2021 8:52 pm There are photos going around of MAGAs unfurling Confederate flags inside the U.S. Capitol.

Let that sink in.

Law enforcement officials across the country expressed shock over the chaos at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, with some saying police were "entirely unprepared" and others calling the response "embarrassing." Many said it was the failure of the Capitol Police to prevent the physical invasion of the building by pro-Trump rioters that concerned them most.

Carmen Best, who was chief of the Seattle police from 2018 to September and is now an NBC News contributor, said that, like many other Americans, she watched the events at the Capitol unfold on television. Law enforcement officials across the country expressed shock over the chaos at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, with some saying police were "entirely unprepared" and others calling the response "embarrassing." Many said it was the failure of the Capitol Police to prevent the physical invasion of the building by pro-Trump rioters that concerned them most.

A senior law enforcement official with decades of experience handling high-profile security events at a major-city police department raised national security concerns in light of the breaches of senior congressional leaders' offices. The official wondered what documents were exposed, what computers were unlocked and what phone numbers were out in the open when rioters entered the offices. The official was also concerned that foreign intelligence officers could have been mixed in with the crowd. Many officials who spoke to NBC News condemned decisions made by supervisory officers when it came to preparation. Others wondered about levels of staffing at the Capitol, given that not only was a protest scheduled Wednesday, but so was the counting of the Electoral College vote. They said it appeared that the Capitol Police were completely understaffed.

In questioning staffing, Best noted the heated rhetoric around the election and recent events like mass social justice protests and allegations that "militia" members plotted to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. "It all paints a picture and sets a tone for what is likely to occur. It's all about the staffing. Given what we've seen over the last several months, it shouldn't shock people," she said. "If you think that large numbers of people could show up and potentially engage in violence or property damage, you staff up." Another senior law enforcement official from a major department, who has managed protests and intelligence, noted that no SWAT or other specialized units were in front of the Capitol before the mob's arrival that would have been trained to stop and shut down the effort to storm the building. The official suggested that there had been an intelligence failure.

"How did they not get wind of this?" the official asked. The official said that social media should have been combed for any clues to the group's movements and intentions and that the rally should have been monitored. storm the building. The official suggested that there had been an intelligence failure. "How did they not get wind of this?" the official asked. The official said that social media should have been combed for any clues to the group's movements and intentions and that the rally should have been monitored. "The number-one job of police commanders," the official said, "is to make sure officers are safe, and today that didn't happen. "This was definitely a planning error. Don't blame the guy outside the door."

The officials questioned the lack of physical barricades and security surrounding the Capitol, particularly in light of the coming inaugural of President-elect Joe Biden. They wondered why natural targets like the spectator stands and speaker towers erected for the inaugural were not secured. And some wondered why it took so long for law enforcement reinforcements to be called in to take control of the situation. Police officers were assaulted and tear gas and sprays were used against them, and yet few arrests were made. It took hours for buses of officers to arrive and make arrests, and most of the front-line officers initially had no riot or protective gear.

They also noted the contrast between the police response in Washington to the responses to protests over the death of George Floyd last summer. The law enforcement officials asked to remain anonymous because they do not want to be seen as criticizing another agency, not knowing the totality of the Capitol Police's circumstances. While order had been restored Wednesday night, police said they are not hopeful that this will be the last violent incident.

"I predict this is going to get worse," one law enforcement official said, adding that extremist groups of any kind will feel empowered that they can overrun what the official called one of the most sacred symbols of American democracy. The Capitol Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

featureless wrote: Thu Jan 07, 2021 9:38 am I'm actually surprised that breaching the doors/windows in a situation like that isn't a live ammunition threshold, it being the central US lawmaking facility full of all sorts of "precious."

featureless wrote: Thu Jan 07, 2021 10:27 am Yeah, I'm not saying they should have started shooting, but I'm surprised they didn't. I find myself, once again, relieved that I am not a LEO (not that it's ever been a desire, just try to look at things through others' eyes).

YankeeTarheel wrote: Thu Jan 07, 2021 10:36 am

featureless wrote: Thu Jan 07, 2021 10:27 am Yeah, I'm not saying they should have started shooting, but I'm surprised they didn't. I find myself, once again, relieved that I am not a LEO (not that it's ever been a desire, just try to look at things through others' eyes).

Always they get handled with kid gloves, unlike the hard attempt at crushing dissent we saw last summer. Had the attackers been Black, there would have been a HUGE array of forces in place, with orders to shoot at the first sign of far less provocation.

featureless wrote: Thu Jan 07, 2021 10:27 am Yeah, I'm not saying they should have started shooting, but I'm surprised they didn't. I find myself, once again, relieved that I am not a LEO (not that it's ever been a desire, just try to look at things through others' eyes).

Ashli Babbitt, a 35-year-old Ocean Beach [San Diego] resident, was in Washington, D.C., protesting Trump's election defeat, according to her brother-in-law Justin Jackson. Jackson said he has been in contact with Washington, D.C., Metro Police Department, but said they didn't tell him exactly what happened and said he doesn't know what would have warranted the shooting.

The chief of D.C. Metro Police said the department's Internal Affairs Unit is investigating the shooting. A tweet apparently sent by Babbitt Tuesday alluded to Wednesday's protest, saying in part, "the storm is here and it is descending upon DC in less than 24 hours." Babbitt was an Air Force veteran who served on multiple tours in the Middle East. Her Twitter feed includes several pro-Trump posts and pictures of her at local pro-Trump rallies.

A woman believed to be Babbitt was seen in a viral video attempting to climb through a shattered window of the Capitol building when shots were fired. Another clip showed the woman covered in blood and being treated by paramedics who moved her on a stretcher away from the building.

featureless wrote: Thu Jan 07, 2021 10:43 am

YankeeTarheel wrote: Thu Jan 07, 2021 10:36 am

featureless wrote: Thu Jan 07, 2021 10:27 am Yeah, I'm not saying they should have started shooting, but I'm surprised they didn't. I find myself, once again, relieved that I am not a LEO (not that it's ever been a desire, just try to look at things through others' eyes).

Always they get handled with kid gloves, unlike the hard attempt at crushing dissent we saw last summer. Had the attackers been Black, there would have been a HUGE array of forces in place, with orders to shoot at the first sign of far less provocation.

Agreed. I was proud that my daughter noted that immediately while I was still agape at the scene.

Elmo wrote: Wed Jan 06, 2021 8:52 pm There are photos going around of MAGAs unfurling Confederate flags inside the U.S. Capitol.

Let that sink in.

West Virginia lawmaker among rioters in Capitol

A West Virginia lawmaker took video of himself and other supporters of President Donald Trump rushing into the U.S. Capitol after they breached the security perimeter.

In the video by Republican Del. Derrick Evans, later deleted from his social media page, he is shown wearing a helmet and clamoring at the door to breach the building in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.

“We’re in! Keep it moving, baby!” he said in a packed doorway amid Trump followers holding flags and complaining of being pepper sprayed. Once inside, Evans could be seen on video milling around the Capitol Rotunda, where historical paintings depict the republic’s founding, and yelled, “No vandalizing!”
State House of Delegates Speaker Roger Hanshaw said Evans will need to “answer to his constituents and colleagues regarding his involvement in what has occurred today.”

He said he has not spoken to Evans yet about his involvement.

The delegate from Wayne County said in a statement later on Facebook that he was heading back to West Virginia and “was simply there as an independent member of the media to film history.”

highdesert wrote: Thu Jan 07, 2021 11:15 am

featureless wrote: Thu Jan 07, 2021 10:27 am Yeah, I'm not saying they should have started shooting, but I'm surprised they didn't. I find myself, once again, relieved that I am not a LEO (not that it's ever been a desire, just try to look at things through others' eyes).

It's a good question, what is the line when they are permitted to use deadly force. We can carry but it's not a requirement of our job and we're not pushed into situations that may require taking a life.