On Wednesday, January 6, 2021, the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., was raged during an uproar and rough assault against the U.S. Congress. A crowd of allies of President Donald Trump endeavored to upset his loss in the 2020 official political race by upsetting the joint meeting of Congress gathered to check constituent votes to formalize President-elect Joe Biden's triumph.
The Capitol Complex was locked down and lawmakers and staff were evacuated while rioters occupied and vandalized the building for several hours.Five people died either shortly before, during, or after the event: one was shot by Capitol Police, one died of a drug overdose, and three succumbed to natural causes. More than 140 people were injured.
The assault on the Capitol generated substantial global attention and was widely condemned by political leaders and organizations both in the United States and internationally. Mitch McConnell (R–KY), then the Senate Majority Leader, called it a "failed insurrection" and said the Senate "will not bow to lawlessness or intimidation". Several social media and technology companies suspended or banned Trump's accounts from their platforms.
Officers present during the attack have opened up about emotional trauma and anxiety which accompanied the riot.One officer died of natural causes and two others committed suicide.
After the attack at the Capitol, the house of representatives passed a bill to create an independent committee to investigate the events that occurred that day. However, the bill was shut down by the Republicans in the Senate. In response to this, the speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi formed a committee of hand picked people to form an independent commission with subpoena power.
She rejected some suggestions made by House Minority leader, Kevin McCarthy in order to maintain the integrity of the commission. McCarthy on the other hand has expressed his concerns that the rejection was aimed at damaging the reputation of Trump supporters and Republican. He threatened to sanction any republican who joins the committee.
The committee has called four officers to testify Tuesday, all of whom have been vocal about the violence they experienced. The committee said they would deliver testimony in their personal capacities, not representing their departments.
Washington D.C Metropolitan officer, Michael Falone talked about how he was tased, pulled into the crowd and beaten during the capitol riot. “I remember guys chanting ‘kill him with his own gun’ ,'' Falone said. He spoke about how traumatized he felt every time the attack was downplayed. In a statement he gave, Falone spoke about meeting with the House Minority leader Kevin McCarthy in June to condemn the actions of the republicans who voted against giving the officers at the capitol riot awards.
To him, the response of the Minority leader was inadequate as he chose to speak to the republican members on a personal level.Another officer testifying at the committee hearing, Harry Dunn also spoke about being anxious to testify in a tweet he made online on Monday.
Sergeant Gonell, who was one of the dozens of injured officers, has experienced physical difficulty since the attack. He was beaten with a flagpole and has to get bone fusion surgery after an injury to his right foot.The testimony, which will include new video footage from the day, is expected to be both emotional and dramatic, as the officers describe being overwhelmed by rioters who were better equipped for the battle that unfolded.
There is no clear guarantee on how long these committee hearings will last and the purpose will be defeated.
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