Two Capitol Police officers have been suspended after supporters of President Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol, according to Representative Tim Ryan, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee. Ryan said on Monday that there were “10 to 15” investigations into Capitol Police officers.
The actions of some Capitol Police officers have come under intense scrutiny after videos showed some rioters entering the U.S. Capitol with ease on Wednesday. Some officers appeared to be friendly with the rioters in the videos. Ryan said an officer who took selfies with rioters and another who put on Mr. Trump’s signature red “Make America Great Again” hat were suspended.
“There were two people suspended one was the selfie officer. And another was an officer who had put a MAGA hat on and started directing some people around. I don’t know — let them in, let them out — exactly what it was, but it was the interim chief, determined that to be immediate qualifying for immediate suspension,” the Ohio Democrat told reporters in a conference call on Monday.
Ryan added that Capitol Police “are looking at everybody involved that could have potentially facilitated at a big level or small level in any way.”
In the aftermath of the riot, morale among the rank-and-file officers has deteriorated, multiple sources told CBS News. The sources said the department has had “a couple of incidents” in which officers threatened to harm themselves.
The riot, in which Trump supporters sought to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, also led to the resignation of Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund and lawmakers have called for an investigation into what happened.
Some have questioned whether the incident was an inside job, including House Minority Whip James Clyburn.
“Who opened those side doors for these protesters, or I call them these mobsters, to come into the building, not through the main entrance where magnetometers are, but through side doors? Yes, somebody on the inside of those buildings were complicit in this,” Clyburn said in an interview with CBSN on Friday.
Two Capitol Police officers have died since the riot. Four other civilians are also dead.
Michael Kaplan contributed to this report.
