Capitol police firings imminent after ‘attempted coup’ as Democrats prepare to force through reforms 

Serious questions have been asked of the police, who were unable to stop the mob from breaching the building

Credit: ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images

Law enforcement officials are facing the sack “very very soon” after the “attempted coup” in Washington was not dealt with properly, a senior congressman has warned, as Democrats prepare to force through policing reforms.

Strategic mistakes had been made from the very beginning, Democrat Tim Ryan said, adding: “You can bet your ass that we’re going to get to the bottom of it.”

Thousands of rioters stormed the US Capitol building on Thursday and ran amok, trashing offices, smashing windows and looting, in an affront to US democracy.

But serious questions have been asked of the police, who were unable to stop the mob from breaching the building.

“I think it’s pretty clear that there’s going to be a number of people who are going to be without employment very, very soon," Ryan said, "because this is an embarrassment — both on behalf of the mob and the president, and the insurrection and the attempted coup, but also the lack of professional planning and dealing with what we knew was going to occur."

Capitol Hill descended into chaos on Thursday

Credit: REUTERS/Leah Millis

Former U.S. Capitol Police Chief Terrance Gainer told CNBC he too expects someone to be held accountable after the law enforcement agency failed to secure the premises.

“If I was up there, I deserve to be fired for letting that happen,” he said. “I was so embarrassed and ashamed to see what was going on the House and Senate floor.”

The current chief of police is Steven Sund, who joined the USCP 2017 and took over as the agency’s 10th head in mid 2019 after serving more than two decades with the Metropolitan Police Department.

Attention has been drawn to the Black Lives Matter protesters, who congregated outside the building over the summer. Then, rubber bullets and tear gas were fired, despite it being a predominantly peaceful demonstration.

“If Black people were storming the Capitol, they would have been treated so much differently than they were today,” Ryan said. “I don’t think there’s any question that communities of color would have been handled much, much differently."

Security was much tougher for a Black Lives Matter protest in summer

Credit: REUTERS/Leah Millis

Donald Trump has become the first President since 1932 to lose a reelection, the House and the Senate, and the Democrats could look to push through changes to policing which tie federal funding to performance.

The US Capitol Police is comprised of more than 2,300 officers and civilian employees, and has an annual budget of approximately $460 million. Their website says they are responsible for protecting Congress and the public, and maintaining order while protecting the U.S. Capitol – “the seat of our nation’s government.”

Representative Ryan noted video footage that went viral of Capitol Police officers allowing rioters past fencing in order to access the building. “I have no idea why that would be permissible,” he said. “That’s unacceptable. … We’ll be looking at all of that.”