“Contrary to what others have said, the USCP has not failed. There are many heroic stories from USCP officials that day that helped ensure the safety of members of Congress, including two officers who lost their lives,” wrote Steven Sund in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and the senior members of each party in the House and Senate. “Democracy prevailed on January 6, 2021, largely because of the courageous actions of the United States Capitol Police.”
CNN obtained a copy of the letter, in which Sund details the intelligence briefing process and the delays in getting help after the attack on the Capitol was underway. More than 1,700 police officers from 18 neighboring jurisdictions gathered at the Capitol while the department awaited National Guard approval for help.
Sund wrote that he made his first request to the National Guard at 1:09 pm Eastern time and the request for support from the local police agency at 1:51 pm. It took more than three hours for National Guard support to be approved, Sund wrote.
“I still cannot understand why, in the midst of an armed uprising, which was broadcast worldwide on television, the Department of Defense took more than three hours to approve an urgent request for support from the National Guard,” he wrote.
After the guard was approved, it took time for the first members to take an oath on the Capitol. The first guards did not take an oath at the Capitol for more than four hours after the initial request, at around 5:40 pm.
This is a last-minute story and will be updated.