Capitol Police rap 6 cops on riot foulups
The U.S. Capitol Police is recommending six cops on the force be disciplined for their actions during the Jan. 6 insurrection.
The six, who weren’t named, face violations that range from inappropriate conduct to “improper” dissemination of information, a statement from the Capitol Police stated Saturday.
There was no explanation of what any punishment could entail. And none of the six cops were identified.
One of the 38 officers investigated during the internal investigations was Lt. Michael
Byrd, who fired the shot that killed Air Force veteran and ardent supporter of former President Donald Trump Ashli Babbett, Politico reported.
Byrd was cleared of wrongdoing by the Justice Department, which in April said investigators had examined video, physical evidence, autopsy results and statements from the officer involved, as well as other officers and witnesses.
According to the Capitol Police statement, its Office of Professional Responsibility launched the internal probes of cops involved in the rioting, but the U.S. attorney’s office didn’t find sufficient evident that any of them committed a crime.
The USCP said its investigators were able to identify the officers involved in 26 of the 38 investigations it opened, and for 20 officers, no wrongdoing was found.
Of the six cops who were nailed, however, three were accused of conduct unbecoming. Of the remaining three, one was accused of failure to comply with directives, one for making improper remarks and one for the “improper dissemination of information,” the Capitol Police statement said.
Another case is pending against an official accused of unsatisfactory performance and conduct unbecoming, the statement added.