Board review defends Capitol Police response to Navy Yard shooting

A report released Friday defended the U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) response to the Washington Navy Yard shooting that left 12 people dead in September. 

{mosads}The USCP was under pressure to review its response to the shooting after a BBC report claimed that officers never made it from Capitol Hill to the Navy Yards because they received an order to “stand down.”

“Initial reports of the actions of USCP personnel were inaccurate and failed to convey the nuanced complexity of such situations including the personal and professional impact on potential first responders,” the USCP said in a statement released on Friday.

According to the internal review, the USCP self-deployed to the Navy Yards to assist with traffic control and perimeter security. 

A Containment and Emergency Response Team also deployed, but was caught in traffic gridlock. The Capitol Command Center ordered the special 4-person team to return to the Hill to deal with potential threats at the Capitol, the review found.

Aaron Alexis, a former Navy sailor, was killed by police on Sept. 16 after murdering 12 people and wounding more in the morning shooting rampage.