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As Capitol police became overpowered on Jan. 6, the Pentagon sent security to the homes of military leaders, per the former Capitol police chief

Kelsey Neubauer   

As Capitol police became overpowered on Jan. 6, the Pentagon sent security to the homes of military leaders, per the former Capitol police chief
LifeInternational2 min read
  • Former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund is releasing his book "Courage Under Fire" on Jan. 3.
  • The Washington Post got an advanced copy and released some of the contents Sunday.

The country is not adequately prepared for another domestic terror attack, according to the man who helmed the Capitol Police during the Jan. 6 attack in 2021.

In his new book "Courage Under Fire," the police department's former Chief Steven Sund claimed there was a lack of communication and a neglectful response from federal agencies — such as the Pentagon, the Department of Homeland Security, and the FBI — responsible for protecting the US against terror.

This ultimately resulted in the violent attack on the Capitol in an attempt to halt the certification of the election, The Washington Post, which had early access to the book, reported.

"The security and information-sharing policies and mandates put in place after September 11 failed miserably on January 6," Sund said in the book, according to the Post."We failed miserably to see the apparent warning signs and the danger, like a 'gray rhino,' charging right at us."

Sund revealed shocking new details of the day — including how the Pentagon sent teams to protect military leaders in their homes, while a desperate Sund requested aid back at the Capitol as his department fought to protect hundreds of lawmakers and their staff. Help from the military did not come for another three hours, The Post reported, after the building was already clear.

"The Pentagon fully understands the urgency and danger of the situation even as it does nothing to support us on the Hill," he wrote, per The Post. "For the past several hours, we have been battling a mob at the Capitol and the fight has been televised around the world.

"We have multiple fatalities including a shooting inside the Capitol," he continued. "We have had to secure members of Congress, the vice president and his family and the next three levels of succession to the president of the United States. And the military has made no effort whatsoever to help end this."

He also said that the national security agencies did not give him notice of the severity of the threats they had known about, and that politics often take priority over security within the Capitol Police, something he claims is a "recipe for disaster," according to the Post.

The book's revelations come as the Jan. 6 committee released new documents from its final report.


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