(AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)WASHINGTON – Capitol Police knew armed extremists were primed for violence at the iconic building on Jan. 6 and even provided officers with assault rifles to protect lawmakers, the acting chief acknowledged Wednesday.
But the wild invasion of the Capitol was far worse than police expected, leaving them unprepared to fight it off.
Officers didn’t properly lock down the Capitol complex, even after an order had been given over the radio to do so.
She also says officers didn’t understand when they were allowed to use deadly force, and that less-than-lethal weapons that officers had were not as successful as they expected.
Capitol Police are investigating the actions of 35 police officers on the day of the riot; six of those officers have been suspended with pay, a police spokesman said.