10 Jan U.S. Capitol Police Appoint Black Female Captain As Acting Chief After Riot

TSRUpdatez: Days after the chief of the U.S. Capitol Police announced he’d be resigning following the heinous display in the U.S. Capitol, the department has named its new acting chief in the wake of the riot.

Assistant Chief Yogananda Pittman will be the acting chief, the department said, according to NBC Washington. Pittman joined the department in 2001, rose through the ranks and is Assistant Chief for Protective and Intelligence Operations, according to the Capitol Police website.

Pittman was one of the first Black female supervisors to attain the rank of captain, according to the site. Capitol Police announced Thursday that Chief Steven Sund would resign effective January 16th but NBC reports that he has already left.

As of Friday, the U.S. Capitol Police Board, which oversees security on Capitol Hill, was down to just one member following the riot after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell asked for and received the resignation of Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate Michael Stenger effective immediately. Longtime Sergeant-at-Arms of the House Paul Irving also resigned. Only Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton remained on the board, which is responsible for a half-billion-dollar budget and thousands of employees.

Pittman has joined the board and its new acting head is Jennifer Hemingway, who also is serving as acting Senate sergeant at arms. 

The U.S. Capitol Police Officers’ Union blamed the agency’s preparation for Wednesday’s riot in a scathing statement, comparing it to First Amendment protests by Black Lives Matter supporters that happened last summer.

Pittman will be at the helm of the police as we move closer to Joe Biden’s inauguration, a ceremony which many are concerned about giving what happened this past week.

It’s being reported that Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is deeply concerned about the city’s safety ahead of the big day.

We can only hope things continue to de-escalate and people remain peaceful. We’ll keep you posted.

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