Officers vote against leaders

Members of the U.S. Capitol Police voted “no confidence” on all seven leaders of the force Friday, rebuking the top brass after a mob of insurrectionists stormed the Capitol for several hours Jan.

6.

The officers voted by wide margins to signal no confidence in acting police chief Yogananda Pittman, a 19-year veteran of the department who took the post Jan. 8 after the resignation of Steven Sund, and in six other leaders, including Assistant Chief Chad Thomas and Sean Gallagher, the acting assistant chief for protective and intelligence operations.

About 650 officers — out of 1,500 — took part in the vote, according to internal documents obtained by the Post. In a statement released Saturday, Pittman said, “The trauma is still incredibly raw and difficult for the many officers who fought heroically on the 6th.

“Since being sworn in on January 8th, my executive team and I have made the well-being of our officers our top priority,” she said. “While progress has been made, more work remains. And I am committed to ensuring every officer gets what they need and deserve.”

The Capitol Police did not request significant help from other law enforcement agencies in advance of the Jan. 6 siege, which unfolded as lawmakers attempted to certify the victory of Presidentelect Joe Biden. Neither did the department have enough of its own officers and fortifications — or a backup plan in place — to keep the rioters out of the building.

Supporters of former president Donald Trump breached the Capitol’s defenses, jumping barriers, scaling walls, smashing windows, ransacking offices and causing mayhem. One Capitol Police officer, Brian Sicknick, collapsed after engaging rioters and later died of his injuries at the hospital. Another officer, Howard Liebengood, 51, took his own life three days after the riot. A District of Columbia police officer who assisted in the response, Jeffrey Smith, 35, also died by suicide.