Biden to award Citizens Medal to 12 on Jan. 6 anniversary
President Joe Biden is set to present the nationโs second highest civilian award to 12 individuals involved in defending the Capitol during the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, and safeguarding the will of American voters in the 2020 presidential election.
2 charged in assault of Capitol officer who died after riot
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON โ U.S. officials have arrested and charged two men with assaulting U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick with bear spray during the Jan. 6 riot, but they do not know yet whether it caused the officerโs death. The idea that Sicknick died after being sprayed by a chemical irritant has emerged in recent weeks as a new theory in the case. Five people died, including a woman who was shot by a police officer inside the Capitol. Another officer eventually spotted Khater deploying the substance and sprayed Khater himself, authorities said. Sicknick died after defending the Capitol against the mob that stormed the building as Congress was voting to certify Joe Bidenโs electoral win over Donald Trump.
Board to begin search for permanent Capitol Police chief
In this Feb. 2, 2021 file photo, acting U.S. Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman pays respects to U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times via AP, Pool)WASHINGTON โ The board that oversees the U.S. Capitol Police is beginning a search for a permanent police chief, a person familiar with the matter said, as the fallout from the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol continues. The draft report faults the three-member Capitol Police Board for its slow decision-making and suggests giving the Capitol Police chief authority to circumvent the board in emergencies and directly request help from the Guard. The Capitol Police and other law enforcement agencies are trying to determine the best way to secure the Capitol over the long term. The Capitol Police Board, which includes the House and Senate sergeant at arms and the Architect of the Capitol, is charged with oversight of the police force.
The Latest: House to wrap early amid threat of violence
Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON โ The Latest on congressional testimony about the Capitol insurrection (all times local):5 p.m. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer notified lawmakers late Wednesday of the sudden schedule change. Gibson comes to the Senate from a 33-year military career, including as a senior intelligence officer in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, supporting troops in the Middle East, Schumer said. The head of the National Guard for Washington, D.C., says Pentagon concerns about โopticsโ delayed the sending of troops to protect the Capitol during the Jan. 6 attack. Walker says D.C. officials pleaded with the Army officials to quickly send the National Guard to help police guard the Capitol.
The Latest: FBI says probe of Capitol officer death ongoing
FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 2, 2021. (Graeme Jennings/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON โ The Latest on FBI Director Chris Wray's testimony about the Capitol insurrection (all times local):12:30 p.m. The FBI director is declining to comment on the cause of the death of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who collapsed after responding to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and died the next day. FBI Director Chris Wray told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday the agency is โnot at a pointโ where it can disclose or confirm the cause of death. ___HEREโS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FBI DIRECTOR CHRIS WRAY'S TESTIMONY ON THE CAPITOL INSURRECTION:FBI Director Chris Wray condemns the January riot at the U.S. Capitol as โdomestic terrorismโ as he defends the bureauโs handling of intelligence indicating the prospect for violence.
AP sources: Feds pinpoint suspect in officer's riot death
The FBI has obtained video that shows the person spraying Brian Sicknick and other law enforcement officers during the Jan. 6 riot, the people said. But they cautioned that federal agents haven't yet identified the suspect by name and the act hasn't been directly tied to Sicknick's death. The idea that Sicknick died after being sprayed by a chemical irritant has emerged in recent weeks as a new theory in the case. The circumstances surrounding Sicknickโs death remain unclear and a final cause of death has not yet been determined. The FBI has already released about 250 photos of people being sought for assaulting federal law enforcement officers during the riot.
The Latest: Lawmaker says Capitol police didn't grasp threat
In this Feb. 2, 2021 file photo, acting U.S. Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman pays respects to U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times via AP, Pool)WASHINGTON โ The Latest on congressional testimony about the Capitol insurrection (all times local):12:30 p.m. The lawmaker who's chair of a hearing on the Jan. 6 riot says the U.S. Capitol Policeโs acting chief failed to understand the threat facing lawmakers that day. The acting chief of the U.S. Capitol Police says the agencyโs incident command protocols โwere not adhered toโ on the day of the Capitol insurrection. AdActing Chief Yogananda Pittman says commanders in charge of supervising the officers were supposed to be giving directions as the violent mob stormed the Capitol.
Chief: Police heeded Capitol attack warnings but overwhelmed
In this Feb. 2, 2021 file photo, acting U.S. Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman pays respects to U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington. However, she denied that law enforcement failed to take seriously warnings of violence before the Jan. 6 insurrection. AdEven if it had reached the top officials, Pittman argued, Capitol Police wouldn't have done anything differently. Before she was named acting police chief โ Sund, the former chief, resigned after the riot โ Pittman was the assistant chief in charge of intelligence operations. In her testimony, Pittman denied that race played a role in the failure to heed warning signs.
Chief: Capitol Police were warned of violence before riot
Capitol Police Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman departs a ceremony memorializing U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, as an urn with his cremated remains lies in honor on a black-draped table at the center of the Capitol Rotunda, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021, in Washington. But the wild invasion of the Capitol was far worse than police expected, leaving them unprepared to fight it off. Officers didnโt properly lock down the Capitol complex, even after an order had been given over the radio to do so. She also says officers didnโt understand when they were allowed to use deadly force, and that less-than-lethal weapons that officers had were not as successful as they expected. Capitol Police are investigating the actions of 35 police officers on the day of the riot; six of those officers have been suspended with pay, a police spokesman said.
The Latest: Dems end opening arguments in Trump trial
From left, David Schoen, Bruce Castor and Michael van der Veen, lawyers for former President Donald Trump, arrive at the Capitol on the third day of the second impeachment trial of Trump in the Senate, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)WASHINGTON โ The Latest on former President Donald Trump's second Senate impeachment trial (all times local):4:30 p.m.House Democrats prosecuting President Donald Trumpโs impeachment have wrapped up their opening arguments. Read more:โ Trial highlights: Harrowing footage, focus on Trumpโs wordsโ โDistressing and emotionalโ: Senators relive horror of riotAdโ Did someone say impeachment? ___2 p.m.Lawyers for former president Donald Trump are planning to begin and wrap up their defense in his impeachment trial in less than a day, using far fewer than their allotted argument hours. The rules for the trial gave both sides two days for arguments, lasting up to eight hours each day.
Trump impeachment trial confronts memories of Capitol siege
(Jim Lo Scalzo/Pool photo via AP)WASHINGTON โ The impeachment trial of Donald Trump is more than an effort to convict the former president of inciting an insurrection. It's a chance for a public accounting and remembrance of the worst attack on the U.S. Capitol in 200 years. Trump is long gone, ensconced at his Mar-a-Lago club, and Democrat Joe Biden is the new president in the White House. "A public trial serves a vital purpose," he said. Pelosi led Democrats in impeaching Trump, the only president twice impeached, and the first in history to face trial after leaving office.
Slain Capitol Police officer honored: 'We will never forget'
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON โ Congressional leaders paid tribute Wednesday to slain U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick in the building he died defending, promising his family and his fellow officers that they will never forget his sacrifice. Sicknick died after an insurrectionist mob stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, interrupting the electoral count after then-President Donald Trump urged them to โfight like hellโ to overturn his defeat. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Sicknick was a patriot who will be remembered by lawmakers each day as they enter the Capitol. The 42-year-old officer was only the fifth person to lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda, a designation for those who are not elected officials, judges or military leaders. Also in attendance was Wenling Chestnut, widow of slain Capitol Police Officer Jacob Chestnut, one of two Capitol Police officers killed by a gunman in 1998.
Capitol Police officer who died after riot lies in honor
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden pay their respects to the late U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick as an urn with his cremated remains lies in honor on a black-draped table at center of Capitol Rotunda, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021, in Washington. AdThe arrival of Sicknick's remains at 9:30 p.m. was solemn, with dozens of Capitol Police standing at attention as his urn was carried up the Capitol steps. There was a viewing period for Capitol Police overnight, and lawmakers were to pay tribute at a ceremony Wednesday morning. AdโThe insurrectionist attack on January 6 was not only an attack on the Capitol, but was a traumatic assault targeting Members,โ she said. Sicknick is only the fifth person to lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda, a designation for those who are not elected officials, judges or military leaders.
Body cam footage shows Wixom man attacking police at US Capitol
Federal prosecutors said newly-released body cam footage shows a Wixom man attacking police on Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol earlier this month. Prosecutors used the video, pointing out who they said is Michael Foy using a hockey stick to swing at officers guarding the doors of the Capitol. The video also shows Foy jumping through a broken window to gain access to the Capitol. AdFoy had no prior criminal record and spent five years in the Marine Corps but was not deployed. Lawmakers will pay tribute Wednesday morning before a ceremonial departure for Arlington National Cemetery, where Sicknick will be interred.
Clyburn says impeachment vote expected this week
Mitch McConnell, the Senateโs Republican leader, has said an impeachment trial could begin as early as Jan. 20 โ Inauguration Day. Clyburn says House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will decide when to appoint impeachment managers and send the articles to the Senate. Toomey was interviewed Sunday on CNNโs โState of the Unionโ and NBCโs โMeet the Press.โ___12:15 a.m.President Donald Trump is facing growing Democratic momentum to impeach him a second time. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is telling Democratic colleagues to be prepared to return to Washington this coming week. Pelosi says Trump should be held accountable but she hasnโt committed to an impeachment vote.
'Brian did his job': Family remembers fallen Capitol officer
An American flag flies at half-staff in remembrance of U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick above the Capitol Building in Washington, Friday, Jan. 8, 2021. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)SOUTH RIVER, N.J. โ From his early days growing up in a New Jersey hamlet, Brian Sicknick wanted to be a police officer. He enlisted in the National Guard six months after graduating high school in 1997, deploying to Saudi Arabia and then Kyrgyzstan. โHis brother told me, โBrian did his job,โโ said John Krenzel, the mayor of Sicknickโs hometown of South River, New Jersey. He enlisted in the New Jersey Air National Guard that December, still a teenager, first deploying to Saudi Arabia in 1999.
After deadly siege, lawmakers ask why police so outnumbered
The lawmakers who were voting to affirm President-elect Joe Biden's victory were forced into hiding for hours. One Capitol Police officer, Brian Sicknick, died Thursday night from injuries suffered during the riot. One disturbing video shows a bloodied police officer screaming for help as heโs crushed by rioters inside the Capitol building. The riot focused renewed attention on Capitol Police, a force of more than 2,300 officers and civilian employees that protects the Capitol, lawmakers, staff and visitors. And as the mob descended on the building Wednesday, Justice Department leaders reached out to offer up FBI agents.