WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Capitol Police officers were told by their leaders not to use their most aggressive tactics to stop the mob that attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6 despite advance warnings about potential violence targeting Congress, the New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing an inspector general’s report.
In the report, Michael Bolton, inspector general of the Capitol Police, criticized the way the agency prepared for and responded to the violence by supporters of then-President Donald Trump, according to the Times.
Bolton found that the agency’s leaders “ordered their Civil Disturbance Unit to refrain from using its most powerful crowd-control tolls – like stun grenades – to put down the onslaught,” the Times said.
A Capitol Police intelligence assessment warned three days before the attack of violence from Trump supporters, who believed his false claims that the November election had been stolen.
Bolton did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. He will testify on Thursday before the House Administration Committee about the Jan. 6 riot.
Five people, including a Capitol Police officer, died in the violence.
(Reporting by Eric Beech and Mohammad Zargham, Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)
