Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) has sent a letter to the U.S. Capitol Police asking how and why a key door to the Capitol that was initially locked, became unlocked, allowing hundreds of unauthorized people to enter the Capitol on January 6.
According to the letter, Johnson and his staff have reviewed security camera videotape showing the following timeline of events on the day of the pro-Trump rally and subsequent rioting at the Capitol building, despite Trump’s calls for peace:
- At approximately 2:26 p.m.: an unauthorized man inside the Capitol tried to open one of the upper west terrace double doors to exit the building by pushing the door’s crash bar.
- The door did not open and the man turned around and walked back through the hallway and away from the doors.
- At 2:33 p.m., five unauthorized people walked down the same hallway, past a police officer who appeared to gesture toward the doors.
- This time, when one of the individuals pushed the door’s crash bar, it opened.
- All five people exited the building, leaving the door ajar for a moment allowing people from outside to gain entry.
- At 2:34 p.m., the police officer near the door walked away from the door out of the view of the security camera.
- At 2:35 p.m., five police officers not wearing riot gear or protective equipment came to the doorway and blocked people from continuing to enter.
- Four unauthorized people pushed past the officers and a surge entered the building.
- The police officers did not appear to take action to stop or block people for several minutes.
- At 2:40 p.m., the five police officers came back to the door and stopped the surge of people from entering, and appeared to be talking with some of them.
- At 2:44 p.m., around the time Ashli Babbitt was shot inside by a Capitol Police officer, one of the five police at the exterior door looked over his shoulder toward the interior of the Capitol building, appeared to speak to a colleague, and then the group slowly retreated from the doorway allowing a surge of people to enter.
- At 2:47 p.m. law enforcement closed the doors.
Johnson is posing a series of questions to Acting Police Chief Yogananda Pittman.
You can read the full letter and questions below:
June 10, 2021
Ms. Yogananda D. Pittman
Acting Chief of Police
U.S. Capitol Police
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Acting Chief Pittman:
Thank you for continuing to provide my office access to U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) security camera footage of the interior and exterior of the U.S. Capitol building on January 6, 2021. The purpose of this review is to document exactly what happened at the Capitol on January 6 to provide an accurate and complete historical account. In particular, my office is reviewing security footage to determine, among other things, the main entry points into the Capitol, how people gained entry into the Capitol, when and where violence occurred both inside and outside the Capitol, and the full spectrum of behavior displayed by individuals on January 6.
I write today to request information about what happened at a specific location. Over the span of a 14-minute period, approximately 309 unauthorized individuals entered the Capitol on January 6 through the upper west terrace doors. At approximately 2:26 p.m. on January 6, a security camera showed a male inside the Capitol attempting to open one of the upper west terrace doors to exit the building. This unauthorized individual, who was by himself at the time, walked through a narrow hallway to the double doors and attempted to exit through the left door by pushing the door’s crash bar. The door did not open and the individual turned around and walked back through the hallway and away from the doors. Approximately seven minutes later, at 2:33 p.m., security footage showed five unauthorized individuals walking down the same hallway, past a police officer. The security footage, which did not include audio, appeared to show the police officer gesturing toward the doors as these individuals walked past him. Once at the double doors, one of the five individuals pushed the left door’s crash bar and this time, it opened. All five individuals exited the building at approximately 2:33 p.m.
As the fifth individual exited through this left door of the upper west terrace doorway, it remained ajar for a moment allowing people from the outside of the building to gain entry into the Capitol. At 2:34 p.m., as people began to enter through this door, the police officer who was in the vicinity of this door one minute earlier, walked into another hallway away from this door and out of the view of the security camera. At 2:35 p.m., five police officers who were not wearing riot gear or carrying any protective equipment, such as shields, arrived at this doorway. As soon as these officers approached the doorway, they appeared to form a thin line across the narrow hallway, blocking people from continuing to enter the building at this location. About a minute later, four unauthorized individuals, including two people wearing helmets, pushed past the officers’ line and a surge of people entered the building walking past the officers. These police officers did not appear to take any further action to stop or block people entering the building until a few minutes later.
At 2:40 p.m., the same five police officers once again approached the same upper west terrace doorway and formed a line stopping the surge of people. For the next several minutes, it appeared that the officers and the people gathered in the doorway exchanged words. Without any audio, it is unclear what was said, but it did not appear that either the police officers or the individuals closest to the doorway were aggressive or violent. At 2:42 p.m., it appeared that at least one individual in the crowd outside of the doorway began to push people toward the doorway causing the individuals closest to the doors to move toward the officers. The officers took a step back, but still maintained the integrity of their line for another two minutes.
At 2:44 p.m., around the time that Ashli Babbitt was shot, security footage showed one of the five police officers at this upper west terrace doorway looking over his shoulder toward the interior of the Capitol building. At that point, this officer appeared to say something to another officer standing in front of him. Both officers, followed by their three other colleagues, appeared to slowly retreat from the doorway, allowing a surge of people to, once again, enter the building.
Security footage then showed an increase of law enforcement officers outside of the building directly in front of this doorway. At 2:47 p.m., law enforcement closed these doors. Over the span of this 14-minute period, it appeared that approximately 309 unauthorized individuals entered the Capitol through the upper west terrace doors. USCP estimated at least 800 unauthorized individuals entered the Capitol on January 6. If that estimate is accurate, it appears this doorway was the entry point for as much as 38 percent of that total.
The American people deserve an accurate and complete understanding of what happened on January 6. To provide that historical record, it is important that all aspects of that day—from the peaceful protests on the Ellipse to the acts of violence in and around the Capitol—are fully and fairly examined. In order to ensure the most accurate understanding of what occurred at the upper west terrace doors on January 6, I ask that you please provide the following information by no later than June 24, 2021:
1. Do you agree with the assessment above that on January 6, 2021, starting at 2:33 p.m. at the upper west terrace doors, approximately 309 unauthorized individuals gained entry into the Capitol at this location? If not, please provide the number of individuals that entered the building at this location.
2. Does USCP still believe approximately 800 unauthorized individuals entered the Capitol on January 6? If that estimate is not correct, what is the current estimate and why has it been revised?
3. In order to fully understand what happened at the upper west terrace doorway, it is important to hear from the officers that were present at that location. Have these officers filed detailed reports of this incident? Has USCP conducted transcribed interviews with them? If so, I request copies of these reports and transcribed interviews. If not, I respectfully ask for the opportunity to interview these officers.
4. Does USCP know why at approximately 2:26 p.m. an individual could not open the left door at the upper west terrace entrance, but seven minutes later, at 2:33 p.m., another individual could open that same door? Does USCP have any indication that this door was locked at 2:26 p.m. and then unlocked by 2:33 p.m.?
5. Please produce security footage of the interior and exterior cameras located near the upper west terrace doors from 2:20 p.m. to 2:50 p.m. on January 6, 2021.
Thank you in advance for your assistance in this matter.
Sincerely,
Ron Johnson
United States Senator
There was videos of either bats or similar being handed out the window at the capital before people entered the building. It was out there, watched it happen.
Scary stuff but glad it’s coming to light
I want to know why Pelosi had 50% of the officers taken off that day and where is the pictures of the police posing with the rioters, Where are the pictures of BLM wearing thier shirt and where are the pictures and film clip of a man bragging he was Antifa and what was on the pc that was taken and returned.That the Democrats went crazy wanting it back, I beleive this was set up to break Trump, so he
couldn’t run again.
I totally agree with you. I also believe Pelosi is behind this, she was and is out to destroy President Trump.
Facts First: The Speaker of the House is not in charge of Capitol security. That’s the responsibility of the Capitol Police Board, which oversees the US Capitol Police and approves requests for National Guard assistance.
Jane L. Campbell, president and CEO of the US Capitol Historical Society, told CNN that “the Speaker of the House does not oversee security of the US Capitol, nor does this official oversee the Capitol Police Board.”
Pelosi also cannot unduly influence who is appointed to the Board, which consists of the House and Senate Sergeants at Arms, the Architect of the Capitol and the Chief of the Capitol Police. The Sergeants at Arms are elected and must be confirmed by their respective chambers and the Architect must be confirmed by both chambers of Congress.
Anyone got a link for the video of the people being LET IN AND DIRECTED THROUGH? I’ve seen it myself, but i want to show my friends.
I’ve seen video of a small group of people smashing a window to gain entry, and I’ve also seen video of capitol police voluntarily let a large number of people enter, who did so peacefully and – as far as I could tell – without doing any damage.
That latter video – and probably other video we haven’t seen – MUST be released, either to attorneys for the hundreds of defendants or – better yet – to the media and general public. What are they trying to hide?
is it true that 400 plus people are still being held without bail??
Yes, this is true! The last count I had was 423 were being held without bail and are in solitary confinement-Not allowed to speak with reporters and not allowed visitation.
This is inhumane and evil.
There are thousands of hours of security video that haven’t been released for public view.
That’s B/S.
That’s because their whole narrative would fall to pieces if the public knew they were actually orchestrating it.
TRUTH
As usual, a “picture” (or in this case….a video) is worth a thousand “lies”. WE THE PEOPLE all know what really happened that day. A ” mostly peaceful protest” gone awry due to certain “instigators” inciting the “violence that is inherent in the system” (Monty Python). There were certain characters associated with BLM and Antifa disguised as “Trump Supporters” present who influenced the eventual discord. And, as usual, it was all downhill from there. To HELL with the TRUTH which always ends up in the hands of the most conniving, corrupt individuals on the planet….the Mainstream Media, FAKE NEWS and our own Liberal Leaders…. guiding our descent into oblivion. So again, I say “WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENED THAT DAY” and as soon as “they” uncover the cover-up the TRUTH shall set us free….or in this case the hundreds of Trump Supporters that are locked up in SOLITARY CONFINEMENT shall be released into a psychiatric ward somewhere in the general population which , by the way, is being infused with “REAL” scary individuals disquised as “poor, downtrodden migrants” that are currently baraging our Southern border whom WE get to support for what’s left of the rest of our ever-loving lives even though we can barely support our own selves. God Bless America!
It just seems to me that something is rotten in the Capital when the alleged invaders were allowed to enter, the guards opened the doors as one would welcome the expected guests coming for a visit. I do not believe that anyone in the right mind would call this a coup. Americans must demand the truth and hopefully, various theories will be dispelled, including my own that there is a possibility that this, poorly planned and executed plot to blame and deminish President Trump.
Just about everything the Democrats have done for the last 5 years is attempt to destroy Trump and his supporters and spend tax money; much of which went to those who had provided “political favors”.
DID 81 MILLION OF MY FELLOW AMERICANS REALLY, SO STUPIDLY, VOTE FOR DEMOCRATS TO “RULE” OR PRECIOUS COUNTRY, I DON’T THINK SO.
Video of the first wave of totally black-garbed, backpack wearing alleged “Trump supporters”. (Ha!:) In full body armor carrying weapons – and a Confederate false flag. Organized; not “spontaneous” rioters driven by Trump’s words to “peacefully protest” the Capitol election hearings.:
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/06/deep-state-doj-corrupt-politicians-refusing-release-thousands-hours-video-jan-6-capital-short-video-reason/
Match these actions against the early time line, including the person trying to open the panic bar locked door.
Thank you for sharing this video. The time line appears to read 2:12 and obviously no security in sight. The outside perimeter was breached at 2:11 for what’s that worth. The operative word here is “appears to be” antifa since they are known to dress in black. They could be any left-wing or right-wing group. Boogaloo Bois tend to dress in bright colors but the Proud Boys dress in black with gold lettering. Point is anyone can dress in black; either their preference or to frame another group.
Their faces are not easily distinguished so we don’t know if any of these guys were arrested yet.
Too many questions. We need that bi-partisan committee and total transparency on it’s research to get to the bottom of this.
No such thing as a Bipartisan committee, lots of investigations are already happening. I want to see the results into the investigation of Fast and Furious, the Las Vegas shooter and the Durham report for starters…
I believe we will find undercover FBI within that group of black garbed entrants.
We sure do need to get the truth out on this. The whole thing is fishy
Yes, and a bi-partisan committee was requested and the Republicans turned it down, even after it met all of the House Minority Leaders requests! What are they now afraid of!
Democrats would have made it political all the way. They can’t help themselves.
WOW! I hope everyone reading this clicks on the link you have provided that reveals some of what actually happened. Thank you for sharing it.
Weapons at the Capitol Riot included sticks, flagstaffs and pepper spray. These are not a bad day in Portland, let alone Mosul. Antifa/BLM riots feature Molotof cocktails, explosive fireworks, lasers to blind cops and guns to shoot anyone who resists looting. Insurrections in the Middle East and Asia feature automatic weapons, IEDs, mortars and truck bombs.
The riot was predicted by the FBI. Trump offered Pelosi 10,000 Maryland National Guard soldiers to protect the Capitol. Pelosi refused. Pelosi owns the Capitol Police. DC Mayor Bowser owns the Metro DC police. Neither were prepared for the riot, so it’s Trump’s fault?
The riot was like the Portland riots. Local authorities refused help from state and federal authorities. The difference is that in Portland, Democrats claim there was no insurrection, but in the Capitol Riot they claim there was.
Facts and time lines are essential to finding facts, prosecutions and investigative journalists. We know these facts ,which are contrary to numerous never corrected media reports (and welcome corrections) of the Jan 6 events at the capital;
One person was shot and killed inside the building. No one knows the identity of the black LEO who shot her., or any substantive documented details.. All other deaths occurred from natural causes or drug ODs.
No lethal weapons were found on the arrested people. No shots were fired by the crowd.
Many have been imprisoned, few have been charged, fewer have been convicted, after almost half a year.. When will these well documented events be concluded, either by convictions or released? Was it an insurrection, a serious charge, or a simple trans pass?
The active events began well before Trump’s talk. Intelligence agencies knew hints hours and days before but there was a near total break down in basic police practices throughout the events.
As usual with riots, there were criminal actors, hostile to the crowd, who promoted law breaking for their own purposes. One anti Trump guy stood next to the woman who was shot and killed but we know very little about these people.
Thousands of troops were ordered to stand guard, protecting the Capital, for months, for no obvious reason. At this time, we should know why?
Aligning press reports of Trump, the LEOs/troops and fence against the crowd at St. John’s church on June 1, 2020, the LEOs/troops and fence against the crowds along our southern border for months, and the LEO/ troops at the Capital for months. against no civilians present, after Jan 6, is bizarre at best.
We are being lied to by most of the press. and/or government officials. Trust in integrity no longer exists.
How about we finally define what an Insurrection is..
This letter is much too long for Acting Chief of Police Ms. Yogananda’s attention span.
problem is that doesn’t fit the democrat party play book. For over a decade the play book goes something like this:
Take an event and lie about it.
Latter when the truth comes out, don’t talk about it.
Latter, repeat the lie you started with regardless of whether the facts are out or not.
Repeat the lie and never recant regardless of the facts.
So what will happen here is this, the narrative the democrat party puts out will be repeated regardless of facts or logic continuously by the MSM.
Another thing missing from that day: Aerial footage of the open space filled from White House to Washington Monument. I estimate close to a million people. Timeline would show most of those people walking away in a long procession after the president spoke, the march took a long winding route away from capitol Hill and took over an hour to get to capitol building. By that time more than half of the marchers dwindled this way and that as the crowd took narrow turns and walked at varying pace. Most went back to their hotels or to headback to their cars or to look for a ride away from the closed streets.
No one has mentioned the short “CP” that stood outside waving the crowd into the direction of the Capital. He for sure needs to be identified and questioned as to his behavior!