Capitol Police command broke down as mob violence escalated
Billy House, Bloomberg
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The acting head of the U.S. Capitol Police force said the department's command structure broke down as the mob assault on the building rapidly escalated in intensity and overwhelmed the first lines of defense.
Asked by lawmakers about communication failures during the Jan. 6 siege, Yogananda Pittman described a chaotic scene as the crowd of supporters of former President Donald Trump broke through barriers and engaged in the hand-to-hand combat with police officers and the department's commanders rushed to help.
"Those operational commanders at the time were so overwhelmed, they started to participate and assist the officers with boots on the ground, versus providing that guidance and direction," Pittman said Thursday at a hearing of the House Appropriations Legislative Branch Subcommittee.