New Details Emerge In Capitol Attack, Security Measures Increased Ahead Of Inauguration

New details emerging in last week's deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol are helping to strengthen the call for investigations into how it happened, as well as, the determination of law enforcement to make sure next week's inauguration is safe and secure. Washington Bureau Chief Alex Cameron has the latest developments.

Friday, January 15th 2021, 10:45 pm



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New details emerging in last week's deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol are helping to strengthen the call for investigations into how it happened, as well as, the determination of law enforcement to make sure next week's inauguration is safe and secure.

Court documents filed Thursday in Phoenix in the case against Jacob Chansley -- an Arizona man who took part in the insurrection sporting face paint, no shirt and a furry hat with horns -- suggest the pro-Trump mob may have intended to "capture and assassinate elected officials." According to the Associated Press, federal prosecutors are backing away from the allegation, with the head of the investigation saying Friday that the probe is still in its early stages and there was no "direct evidence" of such intentions.

Even if that allegation proves an exaggeration, video clips made public this week are showing more clearly just how violent and aggressive the mob was, and how easily there could have been more deaths. Five people, including U.S. Capitol police officer Brian Sicknick, lost their lives as a result of the riot.

"So, we all have to think about a new posture," said Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, referring to the precautions being taken now in advance of next Wednesday's presidential inauguration.

The security measures being put in place are unprecedented, even for the nation's capital, which is accustomed to large protests and First Amendment gatherings. Roads in and around the downtown have been closed, paralyzing traffic in parts of the city. 7-foot high, non-scalable fencing has been erected in a wide perimeter around the Capitol and National Mall. And stationed all along the fence-line and at scores of roadblocks are thousands of armed members of the National Guard. It's now estimated more than 20,000 guard members will be in Washington for the inauguration.

Mayor Bowser said this could be the new normal for such events, given the dangers witnessed January 6.

"We saw white extremists storm the Capitol building who were trained and organized and seemingly with the intent to capture the vice president of the United States and perhaps harm the lawmakers," Bowser said.

At her weekly news conference Friday, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said, "Justice is called for."

Pelosi said, not only will the insurrection be investigated by several committees, there will likely be a 9/11-style commission created to do an even more thorough review of what happened. She said she was disgusted by many of the images from the riot, but none more so than the image of Robert Packer, the man who was wearing a 'Camp Auschwitz' shirt.

"To see this punk, with that shirt on, and his anti-Semitism that he has bragged about to be part of a White supremacist raid on this Capitol," Pelosi said haltingly, "requires us to have an after-action review, to assign responsibility to those who were part of organizing it and incentivizing it."

Asked about allegations being made by some Democrats that certain Republican members appeared to give 'reconnaissance tours' to Trump supporters the day before the assault, the speaker said, if it's found any members of Congress aided and abetted the rioters, they could very well be prosecuted.

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