WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Capitol Police has not found evidence of wrongdoing in most internal probes related to the Jan. 6 insurrection and recommended disciplinary action in six cases, the department said on Saturday.
The police bureau launched 38 internal investigations and was able to identify the officers involved in 26 of the cases. Some of the complaints contained too little information to identify the officer involved. In 20 of the cases, no wrongdoing was found, the department said.
In the six cases, disciplinary action was recommended for violations including “conduct unbecoming,” failure to comply with directions, improper remarks and improper dissemination of information, according to the statement.
A separate case, started after a criminal investigation in which charges were not filed, into an official accused of unsatisfactory performance and conduct unbecoming is still pending.
Following a fiery speech by Republican then-President Donald Trump, hundreds of his supporters stormed the Capitol in a bid to stop the certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential election victory. Four people died in the melee, one shot by a police officer and three others of natural causes.
Among the police officers who responded to the insurrection, one Capitol Police officer who had been attacked by protesters died the following day and four police officers who took part in the defense of the Capitol https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-capitol-police-says-robust-security-planned-sept-18-rally-2021-09-08 later took their own lives.
The department said in February that 35 U.S. Capitol Police officers were being investigated https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-capitol-police/u-s-capitol-police-investigating-role-of-35-officers-during-january-6-riot-idUSKBN2AJ243 for their actions during the Jan. 6 riot and that six had been suspended without pay.[]
The department’s statement came after Democratic U.S. Representative Tim Ryan said two officers had been suspended for their actions that day. One had taken a selfie with a protester, while another wore a Trump-supporting hat and had directed rioters around the building.
It was not clear whether those officers were among the six cases in which disciplinary action was recommended.
(Reporting by Makini Brice; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
