- The Washington Times - Thursday, January 7, 2021

The Capitol Police chief resigned Thursday, a day after a mob of President Trump’s supporters overran the building and a woman was killed by police in the melee.

A spokeswoman for Chief Steven Sund said the resignation is effective Jan. 16, NBC News reported.

His biography has been removed from the Capitol Police website.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had called for the chief’s resignation and other Capitol Hill officials have been sharply critical of the department’s performance against the demonstrators and rioters.

Chief Sund had resisted calls to step down, with a spokesperson saying earlier that he intended to stay in his position.

The Capitol Police’s failure to secure the building, exposing lawmakers to the violent mob, has drawn condemnation from both sides of the aisle.

“Mr. Sund, he hasn’t even called us since this happened,” Ms. Pelosi said.

It took more than 20 hours after the House and Senate chamber were first locked down before Capitol Police released their first statement on the violent and destructive siege.

In a statement, Chief Sund said there was “a robust plan” to address protests, but the Trump supporters’ activities turned into “criminal riotous behavior.”

“The violent attack on the U.S. Capitol was unlike any I have experienced in my 30 years in law enforcement here in Washington,” he said.

• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.

• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.

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