DC police identify people of interest in Capitol rioting

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in Washington, D.C., is asking the public to help identify dozens of people of interest in Wednesday’s rioting on Capitol Hill. 

The MPD identified dozens of people they are accusing of “unlawful entry” after swarms of President Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol complex, forcing lawmakers, staff and reporters to flee the area. 

“MPD seeks assistance in identifying persons of interest responsible for Unlawful Entry offenses that occurred yesterday on US Capitol Grounds,” the department tweeted.

MPD seeks assistance in identifying persons of interest responsible for Unlawful Entry offenses that occurred yesterday on US Capitol Grounds, 100 block of 1st Street, NW.

More photos: https://t.co/i2Hbv1bkPh

Have info? Call (202) 727-9099/text 50411 pic.twitter.com/yWIPEaxxFW

— DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) January 7, 2021

The FBI has also set up a tip website “seeking information that will assist in identifying individuals who are actively instigating violence in Washington, DC.” 

Law enforcement, particularly MPD and the Capitol Police, is facing heat over failing to prevent Wednesday’s rioters from breaching the Capitol even though widely publicized demonstrations had been planned for weeks. 

Police announced Wednesday after many of the rioters dispersed that four people had died, including one woman who was shot by a plain-clothes Capitol Police officer. The three other fatalities occurred due to “separate medical emergencies.” 

Fifty-two people were arrested, and police also discovered two pipe bombs near the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee.

Congress certified President-elect Joe Biden’s win early Thursday after Trump’s supporters, who disrupted the proceedings, were cleared from the Capitol complex.