As the House debates a bill that would form a 9/11 style commission to examine the events of the January 6 insurrection, some members of the U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) have just issued a scathing letter attacking House Minority Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy and Senate Minority Republican Leader Mitch McConnell for very publicly and very strongly opposing the commission.
The letter, unsigned by any officer due to the requirements they “remain neutral and do our jobs with honor and integrity,” slams members of Congress who oppose the commission, saying it is “unfortunate that our ‘bosses’ (Congress) are not held to the same standard.”
The letter appears to suggest the USCP blame Republicans, Trump supporters, or Trump himself for the deadly insurrection, saying that “with each passing week” there is “a new revelation” or “some breaking news regarding ‘somebody’s’ involvement.”
Even more strongly, the letter says with the constant reminders they see daily of the January 6 attacks, “it is unconscionable to even think anyone could suggest, we need to move forward and get over it.”
It also says it is “inconceivable that some of the Members we protect, would downplay the events of January 6th.”
“On Jan 6th where some officers served their last day in US Capitol Police uniform, and not by choice, we would hope that Members whom we took an oath to protect, would at the very minimum support an investigation to get to the bottom of EVERYONE responsible and hold them 100 percent accountable no matter the title of position they hold or held.”
The Capitol Police and DC area officers lost at least four members in the wake of the January 6 attack: two by suicide in the days following the deadly riots, one officially from “natural causes” (Officer Brian Sicknick) despite many believing the use of bear spray was at least partially to blame, and in the attempt to breach the gate on April 2, Officer William Evans was killed. The events of January 6 also led to 138 officers being injured: “73 from the Capitol Police and 65 from the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington,” according to The New York Times.
The number of those injured does not account for the dozens, if not hundreds, of officers who law enforcement officials estimate will suffer in years to come with post-traumatic stress disorder and the dozens who most likely contracted the coronavirus from unmasked Trump supporters who overran the Capitol, the experts and officials said.
Here’s the letter: