Police were told not to use ‘aggressive tactics’
US Capitol police had more intelligence than was previously known ahead of the January 6 riot at Congress, but were instructed not to use their most aggressive tactics to repel the mob, a report cited late on Tuesday by US media said.
The scathing 104-page report by the Capitol police’s internal inspector general, Michael Bolton, concluded that officers did not prepare for or respond adequately to the assault, The New Times and CNN reported.
On orders from supervisors, the police unit that specialises in handling large groups of protesters was not allowed to use some of its most powerful tools and techniques against the crowd, the report is quoted as saying.
The watchdog report released internally last month adds to what is already known about broader security and intelligence failures that Congress has been investigating since hundreds of former president Donald Trump’s supporters laid siege to the Capitol.
It also describes a multitude of missteps that left the force unprepared for the January 6 insurrection — riot shields that shattered upon impact, expired weapons that couldn’t be used, inadequate training and an intelligence division that had few set standards.
A congressional hearing on the report is scheduled for Thursday.