Police chief defends actions during protest

In a move intended to “set the record straight,” U.S. Capitol Police Chief Phillip Morse yesterday said police officers never were given orders to refrain from arresting anti-war protesters who vandalized a Capitol terrace over the weekend. Morse’s statement contradicts witnesses’ accounts, confirmed yesterday, that commanders were at the scene and police were told not to make any arrests.

The USCP was “confronted with a splinter group that was seeking a confrontation with the police,” Morse yesterday told the force in a statement. Some of the group’s members, he said, “did covertly mark the pavement on the Lower West Terrace during the confrontation with us. Had it been observed, I would have directed arrests to be made.”

Morse continued, “The size and continual movement of the crowd provided concealment and made detection of their actions impossible. Once the crowd dispersed, I was appalled and disgusted that any individual, whatever their cause, would deface the grounds of the Capitol.”

Morse also said that police officers stood their ground and were not ordered to fall back.

“In order to achieve our goal of protecting the Capitol without injury to officers, demonstrators, or innocent bystanders, I determined the best course of action was to stand firm in the face of provocation. Officers were continuously redeployed to points close to the Capitol to ensure unity of command and a strong, agile police presence.

“We held our line; no one entered into secure areas; and no one climbed the steps of the Capitol or even got close to any of the doors or windows,” Morse said.

Sources yesterday reconfirmed police were told to bring the line in front of the Capitol building. They also said protesters were allowed to break the police line and approach the Capitol building.

Morse, however, stood by his version of the story.

“Those are the facts. It is my duty to make decisions during such events, quickly determine the best course of action, and give direction to our officers based on the totality of the circumstances. All decisions were mine as chief of police and I made them without consultation or influence by any member of Congress, or congressional leadership. I stand by the decisions I made and I take full responsibility for them.” 

One lawmaker called for oversight of the incident.

A former chairman of the House Appropriations legislative branch panel, Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), called for a hearing to determine what happened this weekend.

“The proper thing to do,” Kingston said, “is the committee of jurisdiction should have a hearing.”

Kingston, who formerly had jurisdiction of the USCP as chairman of the committee, said the decision not to arrest any of the protesters was “a political decision.”

“I’ll bet the rank-and-file officers didn’t agree with the decision [not to arrest anyone],” Kingston continued. “The individual police officer should not have to get front-office approval to do his job.”