[Just the News] Robert J. Contee, the acting Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, told Congress on Tuesday that his officers weren't allowed to enter the U.S. Capitol as rioters breached the building Jan. 6 and that he was surprised the National Guard wasn't called in sooner.Contee spoke during joint hearing in Senate chambers about the security and law-enforcement preparation before the siege and the response to the deadly riot. (A police officer died from an injury sustained in the incident. A rioter was fatally shot, and three other officers later took their own life.)
"First, MPD is prohibited by federal law from entering the Capitol or its grounds to patrol, make arrests, or serve warrants without the consent or request from the Capitol police board," Contee told the congressional lawmakers.