Capitol Police Officers Testify As Jan. 6 Inquiry Begins

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The prime committee investigating the Jan. 6 battle connected the U.S. Capitol volition perceive first-hand from members of the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department astir the events of that day.CreditCredit...Erin Schaff/The New York Times
  • July 27, 2021, 9:30 a.m. ET

Aquilino A. Gonell, a Capitol Police sergeant and seasoned of the Iraq war, was astir crushed during the Jan. 6 riot astatine the Capitol and has watched with vexation successful the months since arsenic immoderate Republican members of Congress person attempted to downplay oregon contradict the unit helium confronted.

On Tuesday, Sergeant Gonell volition archer his communicative successful brutal item earlier Congress, arsenic 1 of 4 constabulary officers who responded to the onslaught that time are acceptable to attest astatine the archetypal proceeding of the prime committee investigating the deadly storming of the Capitol.

“I could consciousness myself losing oxygen and callback reasoning to myself, ‘This is however I’m going to die, trampled defending this entrance,’” Sergeant Gonell planned to archer the panel, according to his prepared remarks, which were obtained by The New York Times.

About 140 constabulary officers were injured arsenic supporters of President Donald J. Trump breached the Capitol, wherever Congress was gathering to number the electoral votes to formalize President Biden’s election. The rioters chanted “Hang Mike Pence,” stalked the halls hunting for Speaker Nancy Pelosi and forced lawmakers to interrupt the number and evacuate their chambers.

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transcript

transcript

Day of Rage: An In-Depth Look astatine How a Mob Stormed the Capitol

A six-month Times probe has synchronized and mapped retired thousands of videos and constabulary vigor communications from the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, providing the astir implicit representation to day of what happened — and why.

“I pledge allegiance to the emblem of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, 1 nation, nether God, indivisible, with liberty and justness for all.” [cheering] They came from each 50 states retired of immoderate consciousness of patriotic work … “It’s truthful overmuch much than conscionable rallying for President Trump. It’s truly rallying for our mode of life. The American dream, against fake news.” … to protestation an predetermination they believed had been stolen. “Stop the steal! Stop the steal!” “We’re here, patriots. We’re successful Washington D.C. Capitol gathering dormant successful beforehand of us.” Their time of enactment would beryllium Jan. 6 … “The House comes to order.” … erstwhile Congress would number electoral ballots and ratify the 2020 predetermination results. For some, it was conscionable a rally for their president. For others, it was a telephone to arms. “We person the powerfulness successful numbers. March connected Congress straight aft Trump’s speech.” In the weeks beforehand, determination were implicit a cardinal mentions connected societal media of storming the Capitol. Maps were shared of the building’s layout. There was speech of bringing weapons and ammunition, and treatment implicit which lawmakers should beryllium targeted first. This choler was based connected a lie. “This predetermination was a fraud.” A prevarication that had grown much frenzied aft the election. “President Trump won this election.” “They were flipping votes.” “Steal the predetermination successful Philadelphia.” “When you triumph successful a landslide and they —” “Steal the predetermination successful Atlanta —” “And it’s rigged —” “Steal the predetermination successful Milwaukee —” “It’s not acceptable.” “This is outrageous.” A prevarication dispersed by the president and his closest allies. “Let’s telephone retired cheating erstwhile we find it.” Some of whom stoked calls for violence. “All hellhole is going to interruption escaped tomorrow.” “Everyone’s going to retrieve who really stands successful the breach and fights tomorrow. And who goes moving disconnected similar a chicken.” “We bleed freedom.” “This volition beryllium their Waterloo.” “And we volition sacrifice for freedom.” “This volition beryllium their destruction.” “U.S.A.! U.S.A.!” What happened adjacent was chaos. “They broke the glass?” Insurrection. “Take it now!” “Treason! Treason!” Death. Then, determination began a run to whitewash history, starting astatine the top. “It was a zero threat. Right from the start, it was zero threat.” And spreading passim the Republican Party. “Even calling it an insurrection, It wasn’t. By and large, it was peaceful protest.” One lawmaker, who helped barricade the House doors, present suggests determination was hardly immoderate threat. “If you didn’t cognize the TV footage was a video from January the 6th, you would really deliberation it was a mean tourer visit.” A tourer sojourn this was not. And the impervious is successful the footage. As portion of a six-month investigation, The New York Times has collected and forensically analyzed thousands of videos, astir filmed by the rioters themselves. We obtained interior constabulary vigor postulation … … and went to tribunal to unseal constabulary body-cam footage. Our reconstruction shows the Capitol riot for what it was, a convulsive battle encouraged by the president connected a spot of ideology that helium vowed to protect. We’ll illustration however constabulary leaders failed to heed warnings of an impending attack, putting rank-and-file officers successful danger. We’ll way cardinal instigators successful the mob taking vantage of weaknesses successful the Capitol’s defenses to ignite a question of unit that engulfed the building. We’ll show, for the archetypal time, the galore simultaneous points of attack, and the 8 breaches of what appeared to beryllium an impenetrable instauration of government. We’ll amusement however the hold to unafraid Congress apt outgo a rioter her life. And however for some, storming the Capitol was portion of the plan, each along. “In fact, tomorrow, I don’t adjacent similar to accidental it due to the fact that I’ll beryllium arrested.” “Well, let’s not accidental it. We request to spell — I’ll accidental it.” “All right.” “We request to spell successful to the Capitol.” “Let’s go!” It’s the greeting of Jan. 6, and thousands are filling the National Mall successful Washington. Trump volition talk present astatine the Ellipse, a ample parkland adjacent the White House and a half-hour locomotion to the U.S. Capitol wherever the predetermination volition beryllium certified. Who is really successful this crowd? Most are mean citizens who judge Trump’s prevarication that the predetermination was stolen. “It’s going to beryllium a large day. It’s going to beryllium wild, arsenic Trump says.” But we besides spot much utmost groups who’ve gained a pursuing during Trump’s presidency. There are followers of the QAnon conspiracy … “Drinking their blood, eating our babies.” … who judge that Trump is facing down a cabal of Satan-worshipping pedophiles. Q posts often invoked notions of patriotism and foretell a coming storm. And up of Jan. 6, immoderate supporters telephone for violence. The Oath Keepers, a far-right paramilitary group, are besides here. “We person men already stationed extracurricular D.C. —” Their person has said the radical is acceptable to travel Trump’s orders and instrumentality members of what they telephone the “Deep State” into custody. They’re organized, staging their military-style instrumentality neatly connected the ground. And later, they enactment connected assemblage armor, speech connected radios, and chat with their supporters connected a walkie-talkie app called Zello. “We person a bully group. We got astir 30, 40, of america who are sticking unneurotic and sticking to the plan. Y’all, we’re 1 artifact distant from the Capitol, now. I’m astir apt going to spell soundless erstwhile I get determination due to the fact that I’m going to beryllium a small busy.” Another radical is the Proud Boys. They’re far-right nationalists who flashed achromatic powerfulness signs passim the day. “Check retired each this testosterone.” They became a household sanction erstwhile Trump invoked them during a statesmanlike debate. “Proud Boys, basal backmost and basal by.” And that’s what they did. They person a past of thoroughfare unit and volition beryllium cardinal instigators of the riot. We’ll instrumentality to them soon. Although the rally is billed arsenic a governmental protest, immoderate marque calls to tempest the Capitol adjacent earlier Trump speaks. And later, erstwhile Trump does instrumentality the signifier … “We’re going to locomotion down to the Capitol.” … immoderate perceive his words arsenic a telephone to action. “I cognize that everyone present volition soon beryllium marching implicit to the Capitol building.” Two hours earlier this, the Proud Boys were already heading for the Capitol. They’re intelligibly spoiling for a combat with far-left agitators similar antifa, who they judge are successful D.C. But determination are moments that suggest different motive. “Come on, tighten up.” “Come on, boys. They’re organized, too. Many are marked with orangish portion oregon hats. They’re wearing assemblage armor, carrying shot bats and utilizing radios. “That’s affirmative. Jesse, this is Tucker” Leading them is Ethan Nordean, who’s been entrusted with alleged warfare powers. He’s joined by different well-known Proud Boys similar Joe Biggs, an organizer from Florida, Dominic Pezzola, a erstwhile Marine, and Billy Chrestman. They volition beryllium among the archetypal rioters wrong the Capitol building. “Proud Boys.” As Trump is speaking, immoderate of his different supporters besides caput to the Capitol. Chanting: “Whose streets? Our streets! Whose streets? Our streets!” And the code is becoming menacing. “And we’re going to tempest the [expletive] Capitol. [expletive] you, [expletive].” “U.S.A.! U.S.A.!” Just ahead, officers guarding the gathering are understaffed and ill-equipped for what’s coming their way. “You going to halt us?” The gathering is much than 2 shot fields successful length. And barricades erected connected the eastbound broadside are defended by conscionable a fewer twelve officers. The westbound side, facing Trump’s rally, is adjacent lighter. The fencing has been extended and connected the northwest approach, lone 5 officers basal guard. Around 5 besides support the southwest approach, a fewer much dot the tract and astir a twelve officers are down them. Plans to tempest the Capitol were made successful plain sight, but the F.B.I. and Department of Homeland Security did not deem those threats arsenic credible. “We volition instrumentality that building!” “U.S.A.! U.S.A.!” Capitol Police leaders and Washington’s politician were warned astatine slightest 3 times of convulsive threats, but besides didn’t instrumentality them earnestly oregon circulate that information. And they declined offers of information unit from national and different agencies. They could person enlisted respective 100 much Capitol constabulary for work connected Jan. 6, but did not. And nary of the officers connected the barricades person protective cogwheel oregon crowd-control equipment. As a result, the Capitol is sparsely defended. “Whose House? Our House! Whose House? Our House!” It’s 12:50 p.m. and a ample radical of Proud Boys is with different protesters close by the Capitol Police line. Joe Biggs is rallying them. When he’s approached by Ryan Samsel, a Trump protagonist from Pennsylvania. They chat, we don’t cognize astir what. But a infinitesimal later, Samsel is the archetypal to attack the constabulary line. And it’s present that the protestation turns violent. “U.S.A.!” Without hesitation, the assemblage overpowers the police. Nearby, a 2nd radical breaks done connected different approach. Others leap fences. And present hundreds of rioters unreserved guardant connected respective fronts. “D.C. is simply a [expletive] warfare zone.” Police retreat to the Capitol gathering wherever it’s becoming much threatening. “This is what we came for! Yeah!” A mob mentality begins to instrumentality hold. Police are truthful outnumbered, they’re forced to retreat again to much tightly support entree points to the Capitol. It’s present 5 minutes into the siege that the Capitol Police main calls for backup from section instrumentality enforcement, known arsenic the Metropolitan Police, and asks different Capitol leaders to mobilize the National Guard. “You took an oath! Does that not mean a damn happening to you, does it?” Metro Police volition get wrong 15 minutes. But for reasons we’ll explicate later, the National Guard won’t get for implicit 4 hours. “Back up! Back up!” Meanwhile, much Capitol Police travel to reenforce the line. It’s the archetypal clip we spot officers successful riot gear. But astir are missing their shields due to the fact that they had not prepared to unlock the retention country wherever that instrumentality is kept. Proud Boys similar Billy Chrestman support rallying the mob. And again, they commencement brawling with the police. Minutes later, reinforcements from the Metro Police arrive. A high-ranking Metro serviceman instantly calls for much backup. They conflict to subdue rioters who respond with their ain chemic spray. And wrong 30 minutes, the constabulary already person casualties. [shouting] This archetypal question of rioters battling constabulary has paved the mode crossed Capitol grounds for others to follow. And aft Trump finishes speaking, thousands much present capable the space. Meanwhile, wrong the Capitol, Nancy Pelosi and Mike Pence person begun certifying the 2020 statesmanlike predetermination results. Certification volition hap connected some sides of the building, successful the House and the Senate. And this is what the rioters privation to stop. An hr into the assault, the mob is battling a constabulary enactment here, on the westbound look of the Capitol. But that unit is present going to dispersed to aggregate points of attack, arsenic westbound broadside rioters watercourse astir the Capitol and incite the assemblage connected the east. Here’s what that assemblage looks similar connected the east. “Stop the steal! Stop the steal! Stop the steal!” They’re alert of the siege happening connected the westbound side, and immoderate are emboldened by it. But up until now, they’ve been kept down the barricades. “U.S.A.! U.S.A.!” Then this radical from the westbound storms astir to the gathering and pushes close done the barriers. The constabulary present hardly enactment up a fight. And it’s present that protesters, each on the eastbound barricades, surge forward. [cheering] Officers are overwhelmed from respective directions, and retreat to defender Capitol entrances. But these rioters judge they’ve been deputized by their president to halt a crime. And now, they commencement trying to get into the gathering itself. [shouting] [glass breaking] [pounding connected door] The Capitol is present surrounded. Rioters haven’t made it wrong yet, but astir the clip that the mob connected the eastbound pushed forward, rioters connected the westbound were making a pivotal move. This scaffolding was erected for the upcoming inauguration of Joe Biden. It covers a staircase that gives nonstop entree to an precocious level, and dozens of doors and windows. Three constabulary lines defender that route. But astatine crushed level, officers are truthful overwhelmed that conscionable a fewer screen this important entree point. Several Proud Boys spot the weakness. Proud Boys commencement warring the police, and with others successful the mob, they propulsion done the line. Over respective minutes, it’s a brutal combat connected these steps. At 1 point, the rioters are held back. [groaning] But they marque a last propulsion up the formation of stairs. [cheering] At the top, they scuffle again with a tiny radical of officers … … who springiness successful aft hardly a minute. The mob present has nonstop entree to Capitol entrances. “I can’t judge this is reality. We accomplished this [expletive].” And hundreds much protesters below, surge forward. “Let’s go! The siege is ours.” It’s utter mayhem, and it’s astir to get worse. This country is being filmed from countless angles allowing america to portion together, infinitesimal by moment, what comes next. Proud Boy Dominic Pezzola uses a constabulary shield helium stole to bash successful a window. And astatine 2:13 p.m., the Capitol is breached. Michael Sparks, a Trump protagonist from Kentucky, is the archetypal idiosyncratic inside. A constabulary serviceman seems unsure of what to bash and backs off. Sparks is followed by Proud Boys and different far-right extremists, 1 carrying a Confederate flag, different equipped with a shot bat. When rioters interruption unfastened the locked doors, hundreds much unreserved in. [shouting] [glass breaking] This is simply a captious moment. Officers indispensable present support the extracurricular and wrong of the building, stretching them adjacent further. Simultaneous events present hap that are captious to lawmakers’ safety. Rioters caput consecutive for the Senate, and volition beryllium astatine its doors successful 2 minutes. Above them, the Senate is called into recess. “We’ll pause.” Members volition evacuate down these stairs. In this hallway, straight overhead the rioters, Officer Eugene Goodman is sprinting to overtake them. He passes Mitt Romney, who helium warns to crook around. Reinforcements are pursuing behind. Goodman overtakes the mob, goes downstairs and intercepts them. He holds them disconnected portion backup arrives upstairs. Behind these rioters, and conscionable feet away, is an flight way wherever the lawmakers and Senate unit are present fleeing. Just 1 serviceman stands guard. Keeping his composure, Goodman draws the mob distant from that flight way to wherever reinforcements are waiting. Goodman: “Second floor!” He glances toward the Senate, and realizes the doorway is unguarded. Goodman shoves the protester again, lures the mob away, and brings them into that enactment of chap officers. Again, the rioters present are convinced it’s their work to support democracy. “We’re not [expletive] around! Because we are mad!” [shouting] The officers clasp them disconnected here, for now. Meanwhile, connected the different broadside of the Capitol, a fewer governmental leaders are evacuated from the House of Representatives. But contempt a lockdown alert, proceedings present volition resume. “The House volition beryllium successful order.” We’ll spell determination soon. First, we’ll spell to the Crypt successful the halfway of the Capitol beneath the Rotunda. The mob is already astatine its entrance. If they get done here, they volition much easy instrumentality retired crossed the building. Rioters jostle with constabulary present for six minutes, and past flood through. It’s present 2:24 p.m., immoderate 90 minutes aft the siege began, and the mob is astir to overrun the building. “Stop the steal! Stop the steal!” As this is happening, and arsenic thousands much swell outside, Trump composes a tweet. Not to calm his supporters, but to blasted his vice president. He writes: At this precise time, Pence and his household are being taken to safety, on with an adjutant who’s carrying the country’s atomic motorboat equipment. “O accidental does that star-spangled banner yet wave?” At 2:25 p.m., there’s different large breach connected the other broadside of the building, the eastbound side. Rioters person been battling a fistful of officers astatine these doors for astir fractional an hour. The tide turns erstwhile rioters who came done the Crypt, scope these doors and propulsion them open. Then an active-duty Marine Corps officer, Christopher Warnagiris, keeps that doorway unfastened for the mob to flood in. Just arsenic elsewhere, this assemblage is simply a premix of die-hard Trump supporters, but besides much organized groups similar the Oath Keepers, who determination successful enactment present toward that eastbound broadside entrance. The Oath Keepers and their supporters proceed to update each different connected the Zello chat app. The radical enters the Capitol together. Proud Boys are adjacent them, including Joe Biggs, the organizer we saw earlier. He’s entering the gathering for a 2nd time. The Oath Keepers capable the Rotunda on with hundreds of different rioters. “Took implicit the Capitol. Overran the Capitol.” “We’re successful the [expletive] Capitol, bro.” Now the constabulary wrong the gathering are wholly outnumbered and telephone for backup. “It’s our House!” “Whose House?” “Our House!” Throughout the Capitol, staffers person barricaded doors to support the mob out. In Nancy Pelosi’s chambers, staffers unreserved wrong a league country and fastener 2 doors down them. Just 12 minutes later, rioters extracurricular caput consecutive for her offices. “Nancy! Nancy!” And heap in. Huddled unneurotic nether a table, Pelosi’s unit grounds what’s happening. One rioter tries to interruption into that aforesaid room. Inside, staffers are soundless arsenic they grounds him pounding. [loud banging] He gets done the archetypal door, but the 2nd doorway keeps him out. It’s a country that, again, shows conscionable however compromised the U.S. authorities has become. “I deliberation I similar my caller eating room.” By 2:30 p.m., the Senate evacuation is good underway. But adjacent though a lockdown was called implicit 15 minutes ago, the House is inactive successful session. “Do not judge Arizona’s electors arsenic certified.” Representative Jim McGovern is chairing. He told america helium wanted to decorativeness proceeding objections to the predetermination results by Paul Gosar. House unit and information gave McGovern the all-clear to continue. It’s a hold that apt outgo idiosyncratic their life. Suddenly, unit are present pointing astatine the chamber’s doors. Just outside, a mob of 100 oregon much is baying to get into them. These rioters wage small heed to the bladed enactment of police. “They’re going. Yeah, I would conscionable halt — bro.” And successful moments, are pushing against the doors into the House. “Stop the steal!” On the different side, Capitol Police erect a barricade and gully their guns. “You’re a traitor.” On the floor, lawmakers are evacuated to the rear of the chamber, wherever successful a fewer minutes a rioter volition beryllium changeable and killed. Part of the mob extracurricular present peels disconnected successful that absorption to find a antithetic mode in. Ashli Babbitt, an Air Force seasoned and QAnon supporter, is among the archetypal to get astatine the rear of the House. “Open the door.” They spot the lawmakers escaping. That lobby mightiness person been wide had the House been evacuated sooner. But the rioters present go incensed. Zachary Alam, a Trump protagonist from Pennsylvania, punches successful the solid panels with his bare fists. [pounding connected door] “Open the door.” Police are stretched highly thin. Just 3 officers and a information staffer basal guard. None are wearing riot gear, and they support their weapons holstered. “It’s going to get worse.” “Open the door.” When a squad of heavy equipped constabulary present arrives, the 3 officers measurement aside. “Go! Let’s go! Get this.” This creates a important spread that allows rioters to smash successful the glass. A informing — what happens adjacent is graphic. It’s 2:44 p.m., and down the door, a constabulary serviceman draws his handgun. Babbitt vaults into the model and the serviceman shoots her once. [gunshot] “Oh! Oh!” It’s a fatal coiled done the precocious chest. Inside the chamber, the level is clear, but lawmakers successful the balcony are sheltering successful place. [gunshot] “The [expletive]?” “Take your pins off.” “Pins off.” They present region the bosom pins that place them arsenic members of Congress. A radical of rioters who astir made it to the balcony are held astatine gunpoint arsenic it’s yet evacuated. Now Trump supporters person achieved their goal, stopping the predetermination certification. And portion the House is evacuated, astatine the different broadside of the building, the Senate is occupied. “Treason! Treason! Treason!” On the Senate floor, they leafage done lawmakers’ files. “There’s got to beryllium thing successful present we tin [expletive] usage against these scumbags.” Mug for photos. “Jesus Christ —” Pray. “We invoke Your name. Amen!” “Amen!” And permission a connection for Mike Pence. “It’s lone a substance of time. Justice is coming.” As rioters wrong person been rampaging passim the Capitol, the assemblage extracurricular has grown. And that archetypal conflict has continued raging. [horn blowing] For astir 2 hours, officers look disconnected with rioters who accidental they enactment the constabulary … … but battle them, anyway. We’re going to amusement what happened present due to the fact that it demonstrates, yet again, however failures by Capitol Police leaders to hole enactment the information of these officers astatine risk. “Leave him alone! Leave him alone!” Capitol Police had been ordered to withhold immoderate of their stronger weapons. But arsenic soon arsenic Robert Glover, a Metro Police inspector arrives, helium calls for his munitions squad to help. When the gathering is breached, Glover knows helium needs to retreat and seeks proposal from Capitol leaders. [shouting] When Capitol don’t respond, helium asks 4 times. “Push! Push! Push! Push!” Then, the constabulary suffer the line. “We the people, we are the storm!” Rioters sound an serviceman over, propulsion a occurrence extinguisher. “U.S.A.!” Glover issues a 10-33, the telephone of past resort. Crazed rioters hound the constabulary adjacent arsenic they retreat to the precocious level. Police present statesman to defender this doorway, an iconic centerpiece of statesmanlike inaugurations. But for different 2 hours, the aforesaid signifier volition repeat. Rioters capable the terrace. Instigators trigger a frenzy. And tragically, idiosyncratic volition die. A brutal combat erupts successful the doorway. The mob heaves successful a coordinated scrum. [screaming] “Help!” When constabulary yet propulsion them out, they look adjacent worse violence. They are tased, gassed and robbed of their equipment. They’re beaten with a crutch, a hockey instrumentality and adjacent an American flag. At slightest 4 officers are pulled into the crowd. One dragged by his ain helmet, look down. And again, the frenzy turns fatal. Rosanne Boyland, a Trump protagonist who has been swept up by QAnon conspiracies, is moving toward the door. But amid the scrum, she collapses and is lying unconscious beneath the mob. [crowd chants] “I can’t breathe! I can’t breathe!” As the assemblage sarcastically chants a Black Lives Matter slogan, Boyland’s friend, Justin Winchell, tries to propulsion her to safety. He screams for help. But instead, chap rioters trample implicit Boyland and complaint astatine the constabulary again. Boyland volition beryllium pronounced dormant astatine a section infirmary successful the evening. By the extremity of the day, rioters person breached and entered the gathering successful astatine slightest 8 locations. There’s the archetypal breach, which we’ve seen, erstwhile rioters smashed done 2 windows and a door. Beside that, a rioter with a crowbar smashes successful a 2nd door, and past opens it to hundreds of people. Others smash a model adjacent to the Inauguration doorway and ascent inside. “Patriots, we request radical to basal up for our state and our Constitution.” At this entrance, constabulary basal speech and let rioters to watercourse in, unchallenged. On the northbound broadside of the building, constabulary successful riot cogwheel output and fto the assemblage in. Another 3 breaches are connected the eastbound side, 2 by the cardinal doors into the Rotunda, and this southeast doorway starring to the House chamber. It’s the accomplishment of much Metropolitan Police and different agencies that yet turns the tide. When those officers participate the Rotunda, they wide it successful conscionable 20 minutes. As the mob is pushed backmost done the eastbound doors, their rage turns to Mike Pence, who Trump attacked earlier. Metro officers besides halt different rioters from entering connected the westbound side, wherever the mob archetypal broke in. But here, too, we spot a assemblage empowered by the content that they’re carrying retired immoderate patriotic duty. Over the people of the day, 150 constabulary officers are injured. After 4 p.m., Metro and Capitol Police regain power of the precocious levels. The last parts of the interior are cleared by different instrumentality enforcement, including national agencies. Tear state and flash bangs disperse the assemblage connected the Inauguration terrace. The Virginia State Police and Arlington County Police assistance to reclaim that area. Then rioters are swiftly pushed disconnected Capitol grounds by a reinforced constabulary line. Only now, much than 3 hours aft Capitol constabulary archetypal called them, bash National Guard soldiers arrive. “You tin conscionable bash and crook down, close now.” Troops were staging conscionable 20 minutes away. But a caller procedural alteration meant the highest level of the Pentagon had to o.k. deployment. And Pentagon officials delayed the decision, partially successful fearfulness of atrocious optics, adjacent arsenic the Capitol was being overrun. As calm returns, the president tweets again. He repeats that the predetermination had been stripped away, calls his supporters large patriots, and says: The aftermath of Jan. 6 has been arsenic divisive arsenic the prevarication that launched it. Even arsenic 1 limb of authorities has indicted hundreds of rioters, Republican lawmakers proceed efforts to normalize what happened with a premix of denials and conspiracy theories. “Some of the radical who breached the Capitol contiguous were not Trump supporters.” “I knew those are radical that emotion this country, that genuinely respect instrumentality enforcement, would ne'er bash thing to interruption a law. And truthful I wasn’t concerned.” They see Paul Gosar, who’d been astatine the Trump rally. “The D.O.J. is harassing peaceful patriots crossed the country.” And Andrew Clyde, who we saw earlier, lasting conscionable a fewer feet from rioters. “There was nary insurrection. And to telephone it an insurrection, successful my opinion, is simply a bald-faced lie.” Republican leaders person blocked an autarkic probe that could person brought caller details to light. “I’ve made the determination to reason the House Democrats’ slanted and unbalanced connection for different committee to survey the events of January the 6th.” And successful May, a apical Republican was ousted from the party’s enactment aft blaming Trump for inspiring the riot. “And I deliberation that the enactment is successful a spot that we’ve got to bring it backmost from.” None of what happened connected Jan. 6 would person been imaginable without a immense wide of mean radical who were arrogant of what they achieved. “We made it!” “Yeah! We stopped the vote!” Millions astir the state inactive judge the unit was not lone justified, but necessary. And the forces that brought them determination person not gone away. “Yeah, the patriots are coming back, y’all. Hopefully, y’all volition beryllium connected our broadside erstwhile that happens.”

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A six-month Times probe has synchronized and mapped retired thousands of videos and constabulary vigor communications from the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, providing the astir implicit representation to day of what happened — and why.

“There is simply a continuous and shocking effort to disregard oregon effort to destruct the information of what genuinely happened that day, and to whitewash the facts into thing different than what they unmistakably reveal: An onslaught connected our ideology by convulsive home extremists, and a stain connected our past and our motivation lasting present astatine location and abroad,” Sergeant Gonell said successful his statement.

The proceeding was expected to past for respective hours, and Democrats said they planned to play immoderate antecedently unreleased video of the unit of Jan. 6. Representative Adam B. Schiff, Democrat of California and a subordinate of the committee, described it arsenic “emotionally precise powerful.”

Sergeant Gonell planned to relay successful vivid item how, during what helium called a “medieval” battle, helium and different officers were brutalized by the mob.

“My chap officers and I were punched, pushed, kicked, shoved, sprayed with chemic irritants, and adjacent blinded with eye-damaging lasers by a convulsive mob,” Sergeant Gonell was to archer the committee.

Also acceptable to attest connected Tuesday are Officer Harry Dunn of the Capitol Police and 2 officers with the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department, Officers Michael Fanone, who suffered a bosom onslaught portion battling the mob, and Daniel Hodges, who was crushed successful a doorway during the rampage.

Officer Dunn planned to attest astir how, arsenic helium fought disconnected the rioters erstwhile they had breached into the Capitol, helium and different Black officers faced a slew of racist slurs.

“In the days pursuing the attempted insurrection, different Black officers shared with maine their ain stories of radical maltreatment connected January 6,” helium said successful his prepared remarks.

The grounds comes arsenic House Republicans are astatine likelihood implicit the investigation. Ms. Pelosi has appointed 2 Republicans — Representatives Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, some vocal critics of Mr. Trump — to salient roles connected the committee, portion rejecting 2 of the erstwhile president’s loyalists selected by Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, the number leader.

Mr. McCarthy has responded by pulling each 5 of the Republicans helium nominated from the sheet and mocking Ms. Cheney and Mr. Kinzinger arsenic “Pelosi Republicans,” suggesting helium mightiness effort to portion them of different committee assignments arsenic punishment.

G.O.P. leaders planned to clasp their ain lawsuit during the proceeding to knock Ms. Pelosi, portion a radical of far-right Republicans scheduled an lawsuit extracurricular the Justice Department aboriginal Tuesday to entity to the attraction of “January 6th prisoners” who they assertion person been mistreated due to the fact that of their governmental beliefs.

At a greeting caller league held Tuesday by Republican enactment to knock the panel, Representative Elise Stefanik of New York, who replaced Ms. Cheney successful enactment leadership, blamed Ms. Pelosi — not Mr. Trump — for the unit that engulfed the Capitol connected Jan. 6, arguing that she should person ensured determination was amended security. “Nancy Pelosi bears work arsenic talker of the House for the calamity that occurred connected Jan. 6,” Ms. Stefanik said.

Congressional leaders prosecute the instrumentality enforcement unit liable for Capitol security, but are typically not progressive successful day-to-day decisions astir information protocols.

Security astatine the Capitol is controlled by the Capitol Police Board, which includes the House and Senate sergeants-at-arms and the designer of the Capitol. At the clip of the attack, the House sergeant-at-arms, Paul D. Irving, had been connected the occupation since 2012, erstwhile helium was hired nether Speaker John A. Boehner, Republican of Ohio. The Senate sergeant-at-arms astatine the time, Michael Stenger, was hired successful 2018 erstwhile Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, led the chamber.

Both Mr. Irving and Mr. Stenger, on with the main of the Capitol Police astatine the time, Steven A. Sund, resigned nether unit aft the riot.

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