Althouse: "A Capitol Police lieutenant was suspended for wearing a MAGA cap during the Jan. 6 riots but told his colleagues he did it to get fellow officers out of harm's way."

January 16, 2021

"A Capitol Police lieutenant was suspended for wearing a MAGA cap during the Jan. 6 riots but told his colleagues he did it to get fellow officers out of harm's way."

62 comments:

MayBee said...: They fired the black guy?
And it's the riot that was racist?; 1/16/21, 8:02 AM
Achilles said...: Fascists gotta act like fascists.

No support for Trump will be allowed in the public square.

And don't you ever talk about voter fraud ever again.

To protect our country of course.; 1/16/21, 8:02 AM
Achilles said...: The fascists are not acting like confident people.

They are acting like fascists that illegally seized power.; 1/16/21, 8:04 AM
Amadeus 48 said...: Hmmm...nobody knows anything. And no one ever will.; 1/16/21, 8:04 AM
MountainMan said...: I read an article last night that the Capitol Police is the 19th largest police department in the country. Larger than the Atlanta police department. Its budget is something like $500/Myear and it has grown significantly during Trump's term. So where were all of them on Jan 6?; 1/16/21, 8:04 AM
narciso said...: The murderer of ashli babbitt will get a raise; 1/16/21, 8:05 AM
narciso said...: They killed miriam curry to the applause of the press.; 1/16/21, 8:07 AM
Achilles said...: Amadeus 48 said...

Hmmm...nobody knows anything. And no one ever will.

Do you think that is because Joe Biden won the election by actually getting more votes than Trump in enough states to win the electoral college?

Or for some other reason?; 1/16/21, 8:09 AM
Achilles said...: The Parler CEO has fled his home with his family because of attacks and deaths threats.

A millionaire.

It is clear that the Fascist State led by Joe Biden is officially removing the imprimatur of police protection from people it does not like.; 1/16/21, 8:11 AM
Fernandinande said...: A Capitol Police lieutenant was suspended for wearing a MAGA cap ...

Aww, what a cute story!

Meanwhile, Feds arrest New Jersey man who says he saw fatal shooting of Ashli Babbitt at Capitol riot; 1/16/21, 8:13 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "They fired the black guy?"

There's a flat run and it has an automatic response. They didn't make an exception.; 1/16/21, 8:21 AM
Mary Beth said...: They don't care what his reason for wearing the hat is. If he had the hat during the protest, that means he had the hat before the protest. Proof he is an undesirable.; 1/16/21, 8:24 AM
MayBee said...: There's a flat run and it has an automatic response. They didn't make an exception.

I'm not really familiar with the term "flat run". But we heard this was a racist riot simply because it was mostly white people. So my automatic response is firing black people is racist. Not making an exception for the black guy, who the NYT told us was under very special assault that day, is racist. That's the difference between Equality and Equity.; 1/16/21, 8:25 AM
cacimbo said...: Nothing a large government agency hates more than innovative thinkers.Had his quick action resulted in big positive headlines he might have been saved.Instead he provided the right with the image of a black police officer in a MAGA hat yukking it up with the protesters.His job is probably just the beginning. They will ban him from his church, if he has children they will be harassed at school......; 1/16/21, 8:31 AM
MayBee said...: Is what he did better or worse than kneeling down before protesters, or washing their feet in front of large crowds to atone?; 1/16/21, 8:41 AM
D.D. Driver said...: Back to reality: he is a cop. He won't get fired or lose any pay. He'll retire at 50 years old with a full pension and spend the rest of his days running iron man competitions and gigging as private security so he can save up to buy a new boat.

So while if he is telling the truth, his suspension is stupid, it's not like there will be any real consequences.; 1/16/21, 8:42 AM
Left Bank of the Charles said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 1/16/21, 8:43 AM
Left Bank of the Charles said...: I think he has been suspended not fired and I predict he will be reinstated.; 1/16/21, 8:45 AM
Leland said...: There's a flat run and it has an automatic response. They didn't make an exception.

Was the cap ok to wear any other time, just not during the 6 Jan. rally?
If a cop wore a BLM cap during that time, would they also be suspended?; 1/16/21, 8:46 AM
Browndog said...: It's not enough to be intolerant of a MAGA hat. You have to actively oppose them.

Any officers that did not attempt to tackle him and rip that hate off his head will also be charged; 1/16/21, 8:52 AM
aglenn said...: Only he could have understood the gravity of the situation, and not some superior watching a recording of it. I think he should be commended for his quick thinking.; 1/16/21, 8:59 AM
aglenn said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 1/16/21, 8:59 AM
aglenn said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 1/16/21, 8:59 AM
wendybar said...: YOU WILL CONFORM...YOU WILL CONFORM....YOU WILL CONFORM...Why does a hat inspire so much fear and hate, when it was Antifa and BLM burning down the country...and their names get painted in the streets???; 1/16/21, 9:17 AM
Mark said...: Any lie will do for Trump supporters, same as it has been since they lost the election.

Republicans are remarkable sheep. Put on a red hat and they become low energy Jeb, put a single antifa person in the crowd and they storm the building.

Conspiracy geniuses I am sure.; 1/16/21, 9:21 AM
farmgirl said...: https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/01/worker-showing-video-military-checkpoints-dc-need-protect-inauguration-people-maybe-people-didnt-elect/

I’m sorry the links aren’t blue- touchable. And always GP, but I find them to be slightly ahead of the curve: IMhumbleO; 1/16/21, 9:29 AM
Howard said...: Cops are supposed to be neutral. Bureaucracies love zero tolerance policies because simplicity.

The big lesson being lost is that the initial passive nature of the police prevented wider violence. Once a crowd turns into a mob the adrenaline level goes to the roof it's not something any single person can't control. Once the adrenaline Burns off the mob becomes a disorganized herdable crowd again.; 1/16/21, 9:33 AM
wildswan said...: In my prolife days I had encounters with the Capitol police and the DC special police force for demonstrators, known as the "gumdrops" for their helmets. They're trained to defuse situations and I personally have witnessed them doing so by putting prolife emblems on their gear to show that they knew we were demonstrating for our beliefs, a right guaranteed by the Constitution. As they explained, they did not "support us", they "supported our rights". So that Lieutenant was just doing a standard procedure.; 1/16/21, 9:39 AM
Lurker21 said...: Is it strange that the aftermath of the "failed coup" looks a lot like the aftermath of a successful coup? Troops in the streets. Barricades. Censorship. Blacklists.; 1/16/21, 9:39 AM
Bob Boyd said...: That woman hugging every cop as they filed past.; 1/16/21, 9:46 AM
Yancey Ward said...: Would he have even been suspended if it had been a BLM hat and/or a Biden Cap? If he had actually been white, isn't it likely he would have been fired rather than suspended?; 1/16/21, 10:09 AM
Yancey Ward said...: And don't all of us really know the answers to my questions?; 1/16/21, 10:09 AM
The Godfather said...: Why doesn’t that crowd look like an insurrection? It looks like a demonstration (mostly peaceful).; 1/16/21, 10:22 AM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: tHE WHITE LEFT fired a black guy.; 1/16/21, 10:24 AM
Cassandra said...: The entire point of wearing (and mandating) a uniform is that it's... well, uniform.

So you don't get to festoon it with personal touches or political gear and it's really not a question of not being allowed to express himself during work hours, but of regulations. Presumably, the officer knew the rules.

That actually makes me less skeptical of/more sympathetic to his explanation than I might be, otherwise.; 1/16/21, 10:35 AM
Achilles said...: Ann Althouse said...

"They fired the black guy?"

There's a flat run and it has an automatic response. They didn't make an exception.

They did.

For BLM though.; 1/16/21, 10:50 AM
Achilles said...: Howard said...

Cops are supposed to be neutral. Bureaucracies love zero tolerance policies because simplicity.

The big lesson being lost is that the initial passive nature of the police prevented wider violence. Once a crowd turns into a mob the adrenaline level goes to the roof it's not something any single person can't control. Once the adrenaline Burns off the mob becomes a disorganized herdable crowd again.

You can keep repeating the party line.

And pretend your enemies aren't being censored and persecuted.

If it makes you feel better.

You are just a fascist shitbag.; 1/16/21, 10:53 AM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: Are police officers allowed to wear pro-Joe gear? or pro-democrat gear?; 1/16/21, 11:03 AM
Inga said...: The cop in question made a quick and smart decision, IMO. It appears that he had his head and his heart in the right place if he used the MAGA hat as a means to save lives and diffuse the situation.; 1/16/21, 11:11 AM
Bob Boyd said...: There's a flat run and it has an automatic response.

I'm raising my hand.
What does that mean, flat run? I haven't heard that before.; 1/16/21, 11:17 AM
Rosalyn C. said...: Some might claim that if the officer were white he’d already be hailed as a hero and a brilliant creative policeman. He did the right thing and he has to be punished because "thems the rules" makes the system look nutty.

That's what I hate about bureaucracies -- they encourage people to care more about protecting themselves from the rules or even using the rules to hurt others, iow to think small.

That officer was doing his job and protecting his fellow officers in an extremely dangerous situation where they were completely outnumbered in a mob scene. He could have stood back and done nothing to help them and not gotten suspended and have that on his record. And if his fellow officers had been attacked he would have been safe from reproach, just doing his job.; 1/16/21, 11:24 AM
Kay said...: Civil War 1: brother against brother

Civil War 2: off-duty cop against on-duty cop; 1/16/21, 11:24 AM
Lurker21 said...: "Flat run"? The town in Virginia or the road in Ohio?

This morning the ads here were telling me to stop wiping my butt. Now they are telling me to start my own website. Which should I do first? And what is this leading up to? Is it a plan to cope with the COVID/Biden apocalypse?; 1/16/21, 11:32 AM
Lurker21 said...: Mike Lindell, the "My Pillow" guy, is getting pilloried because the media spotted the words "martial law" in his notes when he spoke with Trump. The assumption was that he wanted Trump to declare martial law and stay in office.

Go to Washington, DC now and look around. Maybe declaring martial law wasn't Trump's plan but rather the Democrats'.; 1/16/21, 11:33 AM
Rosalyn C. said...: The other thing about bureaucracies is that they are training grounds for corruption -- no one knows how to cheat like a bureaucrat.; 1/16/21, 11:33 AM
loudogblog said...: Management is always talking about "think outside the box." When a line level employee thinks outside of the box, and comes up with an interesting solution to a problem, they run the risk of being disciplined for not following the rules.; 1/16/21, 11:45 AM
Bob Boyd said...: This morning the ads here were telling me to stop wiping my butt.

Anyone who tells you to stop wiping your butt is not your friend.; 1/16/21, 11:54 AM
Lurker21 said...: I went shirtless, carried a spear, and wore a horned buffalo hat that day to convince the protestors that I meant them no harm and I still got fired ...

Of course I was 400 miles away ...; 1/16/21, 12:02 PM
Michael K said...: The big lesson being lost is that the initial passive nature of the police prevented wider violence.

So, opening the doors and letting them in was a good thing? Howard, you are hilarious.; 1/16/21, 12:22 PM
n.n said...: Around half a million assembled to voice concerns about irregularities, perhaps fraud, in democratic processes of several Democrat districts. Several hundred, perhaps, who may or were not "Trump supporters" at the Capital, and several dozen who protested. NOW, they call for the national guard. This wasn't Antifa insurrection, Some, Select Black Lives Matter racket, or even Occupy the city, neighborhood, home. This was a limited progression following more than 16 trimesters of the press, media, steering engines, and Democrat incitement to violence socially justified by false narratives and cover-ups.; 1/16/21, 12:28 PM
n.n said...: So, opening the doors and letting them in was a good thing?

And of the several hundred protesters, other than a few agitators and others going along to get along, most stayed inside the lines and were escorted through the building.; 1/16/21, 12:29 PM
rcocean said...: Let me get this straight. The President of US wears a MAGA hat. Some senators and Congressman have worn MAGA hats. But a policeman at Capital Hill can't wear one, and must be disciplined or fired. As opposed to kneeling in favor of BLM, or wearing "black lives matter" or supporting Antifa.

Again, where are the DC Republicans? Nowhere to be seen of course. what is the point in electing R Congressman and senators? I mean, other than wanting to have Corporate tax rate cut.; 1/16/21, 1:04 PM
Mark said...: Meanwhile, Joe Mancin expresses support for expelling Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley from the Senate. In the same breath as talking about unifying the country.; 1/16/21, 1:06 PM
rcocean said...: Violence in Capital Building on Jan 6th:

1) No Congressman or Senator or their staff attacked or injured.
2) Two Policeman hospitalized. One dead. Reasons still unclear. Self-inflicted? Unknown.
3) 1 Protestor murdered by the Police
4) 1 Protester dead from a "Medical Emergency" unrelated to violence

Property Damage? A few broken windows and doors. A stolen Lectern.

That's it. why the hysteria? Why 25,000 National guard in DC, when NONE were need during riots in the Summer (Complete with burning churches)?; 1/16/21, 1:09 PM
walter said...: MountainMan said...
I read an article last night that the Capitol Police is the 19th largest police department in the country. Larger than the Atlanta police department. Its budget is something like $500/Myear and it has grown significantly during Trump's term. So where were all of them on Jan 6?
--
Solomon claims he was told related documents withheld because "embarrassing"...still working to get them, though.
If Trump has been inexorably marching supporters towards violence, the county fair level "barriers" were a bit underwhelming.

I worked a few of the 600 Trump rallies and remember a very nervous liberal jib operator demanding a Trump hat for protection. That was the one I snapped a group pic of Chicago folk who drove up to WI to unfurl their Asian Americans for Trump banner.
Just a deplorable gaggle of racists. The hate was palpable.; 1/16/21, 1:10 PM
rcocean said...: We now know Antifa/BLM activists have been arrested for helping foment violence in the Capital Building. How many more of the "Pro-trump" violence was due to False Flaggers, anarchists, or nuts?

Unknown.; 1/16/21, 1:10 PM
rcocean said...: Nobody seems to be mocking Pelosi, Schumer, McCarthy, and Mitch McConnell for their hysteria and cowardice. Oh they need 25,000 NG to protect them from what? And they are STILL wimping like little girls over a few protestors more than a week ago.

Meanwhile, they were tough guys adopting a "what's the problem?" and "Don't be whiner" when DC was burning last summer and trying to mob the White House. IRC, Biden and Pelosi were calling Trump a COWARD for being taken to the basement by the Secret Service.; 1/16/21, 1:14 PM
walter said...: "Biden and Pelosi were calling Trump a COWARD for being taken to the basement by the Secret Service."
I completely forgot that.
The Cloward/Piven news cycles and memory holing takes its toll.
There are DC folks though who still remember the "unrest" of 2017 inauguration. There are some interesting video compilations.; 1/16/21, 1:21 PM
Readering said...: Not just coward, liar for denying it.; 1/16/21, 1:28 PM
Joanne Jacobs said...: The Capitol Police lieutenant says someone put the hat on his head. He kept it there to calm the crowd and get the help of protesters to free a group of trapped officers. If true -- and there should be confirmation from the officers he led out -- then his suspension will be lifted, I assume.; 1/16/21, 2:49 PM
Anonymous said...: These are explosively interesting times. Are you diggin' it?; 1/16/21, 4:58 PM
Joanne Jacobs said...: I just watched the video, which confirms that the lieutenant got the cooperation of protesters to get officers out of the building. He says he asked a superior to approve his plan, but didn't hear back so he acted anyhow. Note that one woman hugs each cop as he or she exits. Of course, she's not wearing a mask, so they might not appreciate that, but I think she's saying something supportive.; 1/16/21, 8:14 PM