The Arlington firefighters ended up at the Capitol because, two days earlier, Washington Metro Police Chief Robert J. Contee had formally asked the Arlington County Police Department, along with police departments from Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland, and Arlington County in Virginia, to lend them some officers trained for protests and riots, according to the documents.
Arlington’s acting police chief Andy Penn said they’d send help for the “planned and unplanned first amendment activities,” according to emails.
At the time, the Capitol Police department had issued a security assessment warning that militia members, white supremacists and other extremists were heading to Washington to target Congress in what they saw as a “last stand” to support President Donald Trump.
US Capitol riot: Panicked police messages reveal terror, chaos
6 Mar, 2021 09:29 PM
9 minutes to read
New video shows the moments leading up to the fatal Capitol shooting that killed 35-year-old Ashli Babbitt. Video / Joyce Sohyun Lee / The Washington Post
New video shows the moments leading up to the fatal Capitol shooting that killed 35-year-old Ashli Babbitt. Video / Joyce Sohyun Lee / The Washington Post
AP
By: Martha Mendoza and Juliet Linderman
Two firefighters loaned to Washington for the day were the only medics on the US Capitol steps on January 6, trying to triage injured officers as they watched the angry mob swell and attack police working to protect Congress.
Hundreds of emails, texts, photos and documents obtained by The Associated Press show how a patchwork of law enforcement agencies from all directions tried to support Washington, D.C., as protesters poured into town on Jan. 6.
The Day - Documents expose depth of Jan. 6 Capitol chaos - News from southeastern Connecticut theday.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theday.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Hundreds of emails, texts, photos and documents obtained by The Associated Press show how law enforcement agencies tried to provide support at the Capitol.