Law enforcement response to the January 6 United States Capitol attack
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Law enforcement mounted a response to the January 6 United States Capitol attack, initially failing to maintain security perimeters and protect parts of the building from being breached and occupied, but succeeding at protecting members of Congress, and subsequently, as reinforcements arrived, to secure the breached Capitol.
The United States Capitol Police (USCP) had not planned for a riot or attack.[1] The Capitol Police Board – consisting of the Architect of the Capitol, the House Sergeant at Arms, and the Senate Sergeant at Arms – has the authority to request the National Guard to the Capitol but made the decision on January 3 not to do so.[2] On January 6, USCP officers deployed without "less lethal" arms such as sting grenades. Department riot shields had been improperly stored, causing them to shatter upon impact.[3] At 12:49 p.m., Capitol police responded to two bombs near the Capitol.[4] Minutes later, rioters breached a police perimeter west of the Capitol building. By 2:12 p.m., rioters breached the Capitol building.[5] Capitol and D.C. police then fought to protect Congress and restore order, while individuals at the Department of Defense waited over three hours to deploy the National Guard.[6]
Capitol Police Chief Sund first requested assistance from the D.C. National Guard (DCNG) at 1:49 p.m.[7][8] At 2:22 p.m. D.C. officials also requested National Guard deployment in a conference call with Pentagon leaders.[7] After DoD refused to send immediate assistance, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser contacted the Public Safety Secretary of Virginia, Brian Moran, who immediately dispatched Virginia State Police to the District.[9] At 2:49 p.m., the Governor of Virginia activated all available assets including the Virginia National Guard to aid the U.S. Capitol; the authorization from DoD required for legal deployment was not granted.[9][10] By 3:10 p.m., police from Fairfax County, Virginia, were dispatched to the District,[11] and began arriving at 3:15 p.m.[9]
At 4:22 p.m., Trump issued a video message on social media in which he repeated his claims of electoral fraud, praised his supporters and told them to "go home".[12] By 4:24 p.m., a 12-man armed FBI SWAT team had arrived at the Capitol Complex.[13] Then-Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller finally approved deployment of the National Guard at 4:32 p.m.[14] Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley, later told the House committee that investigated January 6 that Pence, not Trump, had requested the deployment of the National Guard.[15]
At 5:02, about 150 soldiers of the DCNG departed the D.C. Armory; the contingent reached the Capitol complex and began support operations at 5:40. By 6:14 p.m., U.S. Capitol Police, D.C. Metropolitan Police, and DCNG successfully established a perimeter on the west side of the U.S. Capitol. At 8:00 p.m., the U.S. Capitol Police declared the Capitol building to be secure.[7]
In the wake of the attack, law enforcement and Defense leaders faced criticism and calls for resignations.[16]