A new chief has been selected to lead the US Capitol Police in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 riot where a mob violently stormed the building.
J. Thomas Manger, a longtime police official who has run large departments in Maryland and Virginia, will be named to the post after an extensive search, the Associated Press reported, citing two people briefed on the matter.
The agency’s top official, Steven Sund, was forced out a day after the riot, and Yogananda Pittman was elevated to the role of acting chief.
Pittman — who was in charge of intelligence leading up to the insurrection — wasn’t expected to get the job permanently. She faced criticism from her own cops that she had shown little to no leadership on the day of the siege.
She conceded to Congress that security failures allowed supporters of former President Donald Trump to breach the building, and apologized on behalf of the department.
Manger’s appointment comes as the agency tries to determine how to enact reforms that would better protect the seat of American democracy.
A massive fence erected around Capitol grounds after the riot was recently taken down.
The department, which has a 2,300-person force, has asked for more funding for extra officers and better riot gear.
With Post wires