Capitol toll climbs to 5
WASHINGTON: A police officer has died from injuries sustained as President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol, a violent siege that is forcing hard questions about the defeated president’s remaining days in office and the ability of the Capitol Police to secure the area.
The US Capitol Police said in a statement that Officer Brian D Sicknick was injured “while physically engaging with protesters” during the Wednesday riot. He is the fifth person to die because of the melee. He succumbed on Thursday after being taken to hospital following his collapse upon returning to his divisional office. Metropolitan homicide officials will investigate the death.
The rampage that has shocked the world and left the country on edge forced the resignations of three top Capitol security officials over the failure to stop the breach.
It also led lawmakers to demand a review of operations and an FBI briefing over what they called a “terrorist attack”. One protester, a white woman, was shot to death by Capitol Police, and there were dozens of arrests. Three other people died after “medical emergencies” related to the breach.
WASHINGTON: At least 55 people were charged with crimes stemming from the siege of the US Capitol perpetrated by a proTrump mob on Wednesday. Some of the rioters were fired from their jobs on Thursday after internet sleuths publicised their identities.
The DC police department released photos of people who took part in Wednesday’s siege and brought potential charges against them. Some 68 people were arrested after angry protesters stormed the building, breaking windows, damaging fixtures and stealing furnishings.
Fringe group members
The FBI sought the help of the American people in its bid to identify the rioters, a call that drew ribbing on social media in light of the prolific coverage of the event. This included selfies posted by participants and videos of President Donald Trump’s supporters at hotels in the area before the attack.
Some individuals who previously photographed at Trump rallies and fans of the QAnon movement were quickly identified, while online detectives focused their efforts on others.
‘Name and shame’
“Let’s name and shame them!” read one Twitter thread devoted to outing participants. One of the people shown in the DC police photos wore his work ID badge inside the Capitol and was identified and fired by his employer, Navistar Direct Marketing in Fredrick, Maryland.
Libby Andrews, 56, a real estate agent from Chicago, was fired by @properties and removed from its website, even though she had done nothing wrong and had not entered the Capitol, she said in an interview.
Andrews said she had climbed the steps of the Capitol without encountering security, posted selfies from the scene on Instagram, sang the national anthem and then moved on. Online critics were quick to post negative reviews of her real estate work on a ratings site.
Rick Saccone, an adjunct professor at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, resigned after the college reviewed a video he posted on Facebook from the scene. Saccone, reached by phone, confirmed his resignation and said he did not see acts of violence and never crossed the threshold of the US Capitol.
Paul Davis, a lawyer at Westlake, Texas-based Goosehead Insurance, used a social media account to broadcast his participation at the Capitol, saying he had been tear-gassed. A Goosehead spokesperson later confirmed Davis had been fired.
‘Sedition charge possible’
Most of the rioters face charges such as unlawful entry, though some have been charged with more serious crimes like assault.
A man was arrested near the building with a semi-automatic rifle and 11 Molotov cocktails, the justice department said.
Michael Sherwin, the acting US attorney in Washington, said at a press conference on Thursday said that “all charges” are on the table, including insurrection and rioting. Among those charged was Mark Leffingwell, who is accused of attacking a policeman at the scene, and Christopher Michael Alberts was charged with possession of a 9mm handgun and ammunition.
Participants could be charged with the “willful injury of federal property”, as well as assaulting law enforcement officers and trespassing, legal experts said. Some could face more serious charges, including sedition and insurrection.