Watchdogs in numerous federal law enforcement agencies will begin a wide-ranging review into how law enforcement bungled the riots at the Capitol on Jan. 6 and whether the organizations involved were ill-prepared and failed to share information between themselves leading up to the deadly violence, authorities announced Friday.
The Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General announced its review will include an examination of information available to the feds before the riots, coordination between law enforcement at all levels of government and the response to the riot on Jan. 6 as it occurred.
“The DOJ OIG also will assess whether there are any weaknesses in DOJ protocols, policies, or procedures that adversely affected the ability of DOJ or its components to prepare effectively for and respond to the events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6,” Inspector General Michael Horowitz said.
The coordinated investigation could yield a report detailing what led to the death of four people during the mayhem at the Capitol and the death a day later of U.S. Capitol police officer Brian Sicknick, who was hit in the head by a fire extinguisher during the attacks.
The announcement of the investigations comes more than a week after riled-up supporters of outgoing President Trump — who wrongly stated the election was stolen for President-elect Joe Biden — smashed windows, wrecked offices and beat up law enforcement.
The investigation also comes as federal authorities have ramped up arrests of some of the rioters who breached the walls of the Capitol, charging more than 70 people and opening investigations into close to 200, according to Michael Sherwin, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.
The investigations could deal rebukes to the Capitol Police, who said they were only prepared for First Amendment rallies. Just days before the riots, the Capitol Police turned down offers of help from the Pentagon.
Days after the riots, it also emerged that FBI agents in Virginia actually warned about right-wing extremists planning violence at the Capitol the day before.
The FBI’s Washington Field Office admitted that they had received information from the Virginia office about possible violence at the Capitol, but added that the agency gets an “enormous” number of tips.
The review is one of many being conducted into the events of Jan. 6, with coordinated investigations handled by inspectors general for the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security and the Department of the Interior.
Authorities have faced criticism for not heeding numerous red flags on social media that radical Trump supporters and white supremacists saw Jan. 6 as a last stand.
With News Wire Services
