Repercussions for the Capitol Police’s failures during the insurrection have largely been felt at the top of the force, including the resignations of several top officials who failed to heed warnings of violence surrounding the Stop the Steal rally. But this weekend, the USCP announced that six officers who responded to the Capitol riot would face disciplinary action for their conduct on January 6.
Following investigations into 37 reports that officers broke Capitol Police protocol, the probes determined that three officers engaged in “conduct unbecoming.” The other three will be disciplined for “improper remarks,” “failure to comply with directives,” and “improper dissemination of information.” All other officers involved in the probes were cleared, including 12 instances in which investigators could not determine which Capitol Police member allegedly engaged in misconduct because “some complaints did not contain enough information.” The USCP handed the investigation results over to the Department of Justice “as part of the ongoing discovery production in the prosecution of the January 6 rioters,” adding that the U.S. Attorney’s office “did not find sufficient evidence that any of the officers committed a crime.”
None of the officers who were flagged were identified and the USCP did not provide any more detail on their offenses. In January, Democratic Representative Tim Ryan claimed that one officer who was later suspended took a selfie with a mob member, while another wore a MAGA hat and showed insurrectionists around the Capitol; the next month, six officers were suspended amid the investigations. Over 100 law enforcement members were injured in the attack, and four officers who responded on January 6 have died by suicide.
As a House select committee investigates the attack by Trump supporters earlier this year, the Capitol Police is now testing its new response system by briefing officers on potential violence at a rally on September 18 called Justice for J6, to be held in support of those arrested after the insurrection.
