The Federal Bureau of Investigations is under the impression that the Capitol insurrection that occurred earlier this week may have been encouraged by select Capitol police and staffers from within the building.
According to a report TMZ published Friday (Jan. 8), sources within the FBI say that they are examining numerous clues that could prove that some Capitol police and building staffers may have assisted the rioters in their mission to spread chaos throughout the U.S. Capitol. Authorities are reportedly reviewing numerous videos of Capitol police pulling back barricades or simply allowing the rioters to run right past them, giving them access inside the building.
Police officers who were involved may face charges of cowardice, which is the failure to take proper police action. Meanwhile, the rioters, and any person who aided them, could be charged with threats and menacing against Congress since the House and Senate were both in session to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s win as the 46th President of the United States.
The FBI is also looking into how the rioters discovered House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office. Pelosi’s office is intentionally not easy to find. The maze-like path to her office is not open to the public and is nowhere near any main hallways or other important Congressional offices. Yet, the rioters were able to find Pelosi’s office within 10 minutes of entering the building.
The U.S. Capitol building has been closed to the public since March so they don’t believe there was any other way to find the office that quickly without someone mapping it out. The investigation will entail a review of not just Capitol police, both on and off-duty, but all possible suspects like engineers, plumbers, janitors, and any other Capitol employee.
The feds are also vigorously investigating the death of Capitol police officer Brian Sicknick, who died as a result of the injuries he sustained after he was attacked by the rioters. They’re determined to find the suspects involved with his death.