Hundreds of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol Building on Wednesday, but just 14 suspects were arrested as a result of the mayhem, the United States Capitol Police reported Thursday, adding that over three times as many police officers "sustained injuries," at more than 50.
"The violent attack on the U.S. Capitol was unlike any I have ever experienced in my 30 years in law enforcement here in Washington, D.C.," the USCP chief of police, Steven A. Sund, wrote in a statement. "Maintaining public safety in an open environment — specifically for First Amendment activities — has long been a challenge. The USCP had a robust plan established to address anticipated First Amendment activities. But make no mistake — these mass riots were not First Amendment activities; they were criminal riotous behavior."
Sund added that the USCP is "continuing to review surveillance video and open source material to identify" more people who might be subject to criminal charges. Separately, The Wall Street Journal reports that federal authorities are poised to arrest "more than a dozen members of the pro-Trump mob" who stormed the Capitol, and are continuing to review social media posts and cell phone records to root out who was involved after Capitol Police let many of the rioters leave undisturbed.
Washington's Metropolitan Police Department arrested an additional 80 people for violations of curfew and unlawful entry. Read more about the "stunning failure" of the Capitol Police here at The Week.