Washington, April 5: The US Capitol Police are struggling. One officer was killed and another injured when a driver slammed into them at a barricade Friday afternoon.
The attack comes after officers were overrun and injured when a violent mob of Trump supporters overran the Capitol on January 6, breaking through insufficient barriers and pushing their way to within steps of lawmakers.
One officer died and another killed himself. Scores of officers are considering early retirement, top leaders have resigned and those in office face increasing criticism. Security concerns over the events of the past four months may alter not only how the department operates, but also whether the historically public grounds can remain open. The head of the Capitol Police union said officers are “reeling” following the death on Friday of Officer Billy Evans, who was on the force for 18 years.
He was struck at a Capitol entrance by a man who, according to investigators, suffered from delusions and suicidal thoughts.
Evans’ death comes after Officer Brian Sicknick, who was among hundreds of officers trying to fight off rioters without the necessary equipment or planning, died following the January 6 riot. Officer Howard Liebengood died by suicide shortly afterward. Hundreds of officers are considering retirement or finding jobs elsewhere, union chair Gus Papathanasiou said in a statement. “They continue to work even as we rapidly approach a crisis in morale and force numbers,” he said, noting that officers are dealing with “massive amounts of forced overtime.”
Dozens of officers were injured on January 6 and others have been held out of work during an internal investigation into the department’s response, including the officer who fatally shot a 35-year-old woman attempting to climb throug. (AP)
