A U.S. Capitol Police car drives past the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., January 26, 2021.
Al Drago | Reuters
The U.S. Capitol Police has suspended six officers with pay and is looking into the behavior of more than two dozen others involved in responding to the deadly Capitol riot, the department told NBC News on Friday.
The department’s probe of the Jan. 6 attack, which resulted in five deaths and sent a joint session of Congress scrambling for safety, “remains under investigation,” spokesman John Stolnis said in a statement.
USCP’s Office of Personal Responsibility “is investigating the actions of 35 police officers from that day,” six of whom are currently suspended with pay, the statement said.
Yogananda Pittman, who took over as acting chief shortly after Steven Sund resigned from USCP in the wake of the Capitol breach, “has directed that any member of her department whose behavior is not in keeping with the Department’s Rules of Conduct will face appropriate discipline,” according to Stolnis.
The update in the probe comes days after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., announced that Congress will establish an independent commission to investigate the storming of the Capitol by a mob of former President Donald Trump’s supporters.
Pelosi’s office did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment on the statement from USCP.
Dozens of officers from around the country who participated in the riot, or attended Trump’s nearby rally before the mob attacked the Capitol, have come under scrutiny by their departments, according to an Associated Press survey last month. Some have faced charges, while others have been placed on leave, the AP reported.
The security failure that led to the Capitol being overrun by Trump’s followers sparked a massive backlash against the USCP and its leadership. The department’s police union this month reportedly issued a vote of no confidence for the top leaders of the force, including Pittman.
— CNBC’s Christian Nunley contributed to this report.
