FBI search intensifies after Capitol siege
Flags at the U.S. Capitol flew at half-staff, Friday, in honor of fallen Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who died from injuries sustained while defending the legislative building during Wednesday’s riot of Trump supporters.
The FBI and Washington's police department will jointly investigate the officer’s death, Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen said on Friday, adding the Justice Department (quote) "will spare no resources in investigating and holding accountable those responsible."
President-elect Joe Biden on Friday offered his condolences to the fallen officer's family:
"Our sympathies and our concerns go out to his family and the people responsible should be held accountable."
In stark contrast, as of Friday afternoon, President Donald Trump was silent on the matter.
Officer Sicknick and four others died after supporters of the president, on Wednesday, stormed the Capitol - vandalizing federal property, terrorizing lawmakers and journalists and even walking away with stolen items, including a laptop from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office.
A man who was pictured sitting at Pelosi's desk, and a West Virginia state lawmaker, are among those facing federal charges, prosecutors said on Friday.
Suspects could face charges including sedition, insurrection and rioting according to D.C’s top federal prosecutor - who said no suspects in Wednesday's riots would be ruled out… even when asked whether this could include Capitol Police who may have been complicit, or Trump himself for urging protesters to march.
TRUMP: "We're going to walk down to the Capitol... (flash) Because you'll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength and you have to be strong."
The brother-in-law of a woman killed in the rioting said Trump fueled the mayhem:
“It’s my own personal belief that the president’s words incited a riot that killed four of his biggest fans last night and I believe that we should invoke the 25th amendment at this time.”
Dozens of arrests have been made, and the FBI is continuing its search for suspects… knocking on doors in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, asking for security videos, and asking the public to submit tips... beyond what was already caught on video and in photos.
Some of the rioters, whose identities were publicized by internet sleuths, faced other repercussions -- getting fired from their jobs.
That includes a man who wore his work ID badge while inside the capitol. He was quickly identified and fired by his employer, a marketing company out of Maryland.
The FBI is also offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information on who placed a pipe bomb in the Democratic and Republican committee headquarters on Wednesday.
LINDSEY GRAHAM: “And the question for the country is, how could that happen?”
Meanwhile dismayed lawmakers are demanding investigations into how the Capitol Police - a 2,000-member force dedicated to guarding the Capitol Grounds - and other agencies - allowed this to happen in the first place.
