Government report finds officers "hesitant" to use force on Jan. 6 for fear of disciplinary action
CBSN
A survey of 315 Capitol Police officers found law enforcement "felt discouraged or hesitant to use force" on January 6 as the U.S. Capitol was overrun by a mob intent on overturning the 2020 presidential election. The 115-page report issued by the Government Accountability Office nearly 14 months after the Capitol insurrection has urged U.S. Capitol Police to offer additional crowd-control training, as well as pre-operational guidance to officers on the ground.
In total,190 respondents expressed concerns or made suggestions related to information sharing, with one offering that "had any information on the morning of the 6th aside from 'prepare for a long day' they would have had a different mindset when the group approached."
More than half of the officers surveyed said that guidance and intelligence shared before and during the attack was "not at all clear" or "not provided."