Lieutenant-General Walter Piatt, director of the Army’s General Staff, contested on Monday the account of former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund about how and when the National Guard was dispatched to aid in the Capitol riots in Wednesday, saying he did not resist calls for deployment, development.
The senior army officer contradicted what Sund said The Washington Post took place on a conference call between employees. Piatt said that “as soon as” Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthyRyan McCarthyThe Capitol Police Chief accuses House and Senate security officials of hampering efforts to summon the National Guard: WaPo 25 domestic terrorism investigations initiated after assaulting the Capitol DC Mayor asks DHS to increase security measures around of the inauguration MORE received the request from the Capitol Police to deploy the National Guard, “he ran to the office of the acting Secretary of Defense to request approval.”
The former Capitol Police chief said Piatt told him that he could not immediately recommend McCarthy to authorize the deployment while pro-Trump protesters stormed the building.
Citing Sund and four officers on the call, the Post reported that Piatt said he did not “like the image of the National Guard standing on a police line with the Capitol in the background.”
“I did not make the statement or any comment similar to what was assigned to me by Chief Sund in the Washington Post article – but I would note that even in his account, he makes it clear that neither I nor anyone else [the Department of Defense], denied the deployment of the requested personnel, ”said Piatt in his statement on Monday.
Instead, Piatt said he stayed on the phone while McCarthy met with acting defense secretary Christopher Miller “and made it clear to conference call participants that I was not the approving authority, but that Secretary McCarthy was working on the approval”.
Piatt said he worked with participants in the call to develop an implementation plan.
“This included options to alleviate law enforcement across the city so that these assets could assist with law enforcement actions on Capitol Hill, or use the National Guard to define a perimeter on Capitol Hill to provide law enforcement with a safe environment for conduct cleaning operations, “he said.” In the end, the National Guard was sent to define the perimeter of the Capitol. “
Piatt said the authorization to activate the National Guard came “approximately forty minutes after the call began,” although the first National Guard personnel did not arrive until 5:40 PM, after four of the five mutiny deaths had already occurred. occurred.
Sund, who resigned amid pressure from the legislator the day after the riots, he told the Post that Piatt had said he preferred the National Guard to take up posts around DC to allow DC police to respond on Capitol Hill.
The newspaper said that four other officials, including DC Mayor Muriel Bowser
Muriel Bowser25 domestic terrorism investigations opened after Capitol Police attack alerted by FBI, NYPD about risk of violence on Capitol Hill: DC Mayor report asks DHS to increase security measures around the inauguration MORE (D), supported Sund’s account of the call.
Bowser told the Post that Sund “made it perfectly clear that they needed extraordinary help, including the National Guard. There was some concern from the Army about what it would be like to have armed soldiers on Capitol Hill. “
The disagreement over the calling and authorization of the National Guard comes at a time when lawmakers and others are trying to understand what happened on Wednesday before and during the Capitol riots, which were aimed at disrupting Congress’ statement about the elected president Joe Biden
Joe BidenOutgoing Capitol Police Chief accuses House and Senate security officials of hampering efforts to summon the National Guard: WaPo PGA announces plans to transfer the 2022 championship from Trump’s property Former Democratic Senator: Biden Department of Justice can investigate meeting speakers on January 6 MOREvictory of.
During the Post interview, Sund said that his attempt to involve the National Guard before Wednesday was hampered by House and Senate security officials, including Sergeant Arms Sergeant Paul Irving and Senate Arms Sergeant Michael Stenger, who resigned in consequence.