Capitol riots: Democratic congressman accuses Capitol Police of being ‘complicit’ in riots

‘At worst, they let this protest proceed unlike any other,’ Jim Cooper of Tennessee says

Democratic congressman Jim Cooper of Tennessee has accused Capitol Police (USCP) of potentially being complicit in allowing hundreds of rioters to breach the US Capitol on Wednesday.

"Some people are worried today that some police were complicit with the protesters," Mr Cooper told WUSA9. "It's one thing to be friendly and to de-escalate the violence. But it's one thing to take selfies with them (rioters) and let them go through the lines."

Following Donald Trump’s rally, pro-Trump rioters marched to the US Capitol buildings where it appeared law enforcement was completely unprepared for the sheer numbers in the crowd – despite this protest being promoted for weeks on social media by the president and his allies.

Rioters were seen attacking officers, spraying chemical agents, and breaking windows before they were walked into the Capitol building. Destruction continued inside, including the looting of large items. Multiple rioters even filmed and photographed themselves in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office.

:: Follow live for the latest fallout from pro-Trump riots at US Capitol

"At best they were overwhelmed and did not anticipate what they had been warned of by Trump, even as of this morning when he said he would join the protests at the Capitol. ... At worst, they let this protest proceed unlike any other," Mr Cooper told WUSA9 when asked if he thought USCP officers had been complicit.  

Besides the apparent lack of preparedness by USCP, questions have also mounted about some of the behaviour that was displayed by some officers on the scene.

Video footage showed one police officer taking selfies with the rioters instead of attempting to arrest them. Another account said that officers “gave up” on arresting people in the US Capitol and decided to let them walk out on their own.

It took two hours, and assistance from other law enforcement agencies, before safety was restored. Four people were killed in the events, including one woman who was shot by USCP inside the building, according to Robert Contee, chief of Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department. 

Mr Contee also reported that 14 police officers were injured, one seriously "after he was pulled into a crowd and assaulted". 

At least 52 people were arrested on Wednesday, most for breaking the 6pm curfew that was set by the Washington DC mayor.

The events of Wednesday have sparked condemnation from Black Lives Matter protesters who say they were treated differently compared to the rioters at the US Capitol. Comparison imagery has circulated about the force that was used over the summer at the protests compared to how the pro-Trump rioters were treated on Wednesday. 

Martin Luther King III, the son of the civil rights leader, tweeted: “The peaceful protests in the summer were met with armed military police, tear gas, and rubber bullets.

“Today’s insurrection in the Capitol shows a clear example of the two very different justice systems our country upholds.”