Capitol Riot Footage Shows Cop Politely Asking Mob To Leave Senate Chamber
Published
New footage from the Capitol riots shows a police officer politely asking a mob to leave the Senate chamber.
The January 6 siege – which led to the death of five people, including one cop – has been the subject of intense criticism aimed at the extremists, Donald Trump and the lax response of law enforcement as people stormed the federal building, especially in contrast to last year’s Black Lives Matter protests.
Among the several reporters who captured the chaos, The New Yorker’s Luke Mogelson went inside the Senate chamber with insurrectionists, where he filmed their interactions with police officers.
Just more than six minutes into the video, you can see notorious QAnon supporter Jacob Chansley walking into the chamber carrying a spear, followed by an unnamed police officer. At the time, a number of other rioters are present in the chamber, including one man ‘covered in blood’ sitting on the floor.
The officer asks him: ‘You good sir? Do you need medical attention?’ Speaking on the phone, he says: ‘I got shot in the face by some kind of plastic bullet.’
The officer then asks: ‘Any chance I could get you guys to leave the Senate wing.’ The man on the floor says: ‘We will. I’ve been makin’ sure they ain’t disrespecting the place.’ The officer replies: ‘Just want to let you guys know this is like, the sacred-est place.’
Soon after, Chansley poses for a picture. When another man tells the officer he should be stopping them, he points out how many of them there are opposed to him.
He says: ‘I’m just making sure you guys don’t do anything else. Now that you’ve done that [taken a photograph] can I get you guys to walk out this room please?’ While they all reply yes, several more pile in minutes later and take even further control of the chamber.
Like many in the days after the riots, Chansley was arrested and charged with civil disorder, obstruction of an official proceeding, entering and remaining in a restricted building, disorderly and disruptive conduct, violent entry, disorderly conduct in a Capitol and demonstrating in a Capitol building. He was denied release on Friday, January 15.
Several top officials have slammed the police response to the riots, including President-elect Joe Biden. ‘If it had been a group of Black Lives Matter protesting yesterday… they would have been treated very, very differently than the mob of thugs that stormed the Capitol. We all know that’s true, and it is unacceptable, totally unacceptable,’ he said.
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Topics: News, Capitol, Now, Riots, senate, US Capitol, washington
Credits
The New Yorker/YouTubeThe New Yorker/YouTube
A Reporter’s Footage from Inside the Capitol Siege | The New Yorker
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