WASHINGTON โ Congressman Jim Cooper (D) from Tennessee spoke with WUSA9's Adam Longo on Wednesday about some strong concerns and possible allegations to levee against US Capitol Police.
His fear? US Capitol Police were somehow complicit in allowing the Capitol to be breached.
"Some people are worried today that some police were complicit with the protesters," Cooper said. "It's one thing to be friendly and to de-escalate the violence. But it's one thing to take selfies with them (rioters) and let them go through the lines."
Cooper said he did not see these actions by Capitol Police himself, but said he's "never seen a crowd less afraid of the police than this one."
"At best they were overwhelmed and did not anticipate what they had been warned of by (President) Trump, even as of this morning when he said he would join the protests at the Capitol. ... At worst, they let this protest proceed unlike any other," Cooper said when asked directly if he believes that US Capitol Police were complicit in what happened.
Congressman Cooper compared what we saw Wednesday to 1814 when British troops torched the Capitol and forced Congress out of the building.
Cooper was still barricaded in his office at the Longworth building when WUSA9 spoke to him around 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. He thought Congress might have to reconvene elsewhere ... before the leadership decided to proceed at the Capitol after it was cleared.
Some videos on social media show Trump supporters walking among officers outside the Capitol in a nonchalant fashion.
Other videos showed a more aggressive stance taken by Capitol police before rioters breached their line.
In one video posted to Twitter, it appears a Capitol police officer was willingly taking a selfie with Trump supporters who had already breached the building.