{"id":2007696,"date":"2023-08-22T02:25:01","date_gmt":"2023-08-22T06:25:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/metropolitan-police-gave-protesters-free-access-to-us-capitol-on-jan-6-court-filing-states\/"},"modified":"2023-08-22T02:28:29","modified_gmt":"2023-08-22T06:28:29","slug":"metropolitan-police-gave-protesters-free-access-to-us-capitol-on-jan-6-court-filing-states","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/metropolitan-police-gave-protesters-free-access-to-us-capitol-on-jan-6-court-filing-states\/","title":{"rendered":"Court filing alleges Metropolitan Police allowed protesters free access to US Capitol on Jan. 6."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmetropolitan-police-gave-protesters-free-access-to-us-capitol-on-jan-6-court-filing-states%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2007696&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div data-post-content=\"true\" class=\"post_content\" id=\"post_content\">\n<h2>Metropolitan \u200bPolice Department Allegedly Allowed Protesters to\u2064 Enter U.S. Capitol<\/h2>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Metropolitan Police Department\u200c (MPD) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/metropolitan-police-gave-protesters-free-access-to-us-capitol-on-jan-6-court-filing-states\/\" title=\"Court filing alleges Metropolitan Police allowed protesters free access to US Capitol on Jan. 6.\">officers gave protesters free access<\/a> to a door on the west side \u200dof the U.S. Capitol for 12 minutes on Jan. 6, 2021, after supervisors ordered them to retreat, leading one officer\u2062 to remark, \u201cI can\u2019t\u200b believe they let them in,\u201d a new federal court filing alleges.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Defendant William Pope, 37,\u2062 of Topeka, Kansas, asked U.S. District Judge Rudolph\u200c Contreras on Aug. 21 to compel federal prosecutors to produce what\u2063 he called \u201chighly explosive and exculpatory materials\u201d needed for his defense.<\/p>\n<p>Among the revelations in Mr. Pope\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/kfKinlAQq6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">41-page filing<\/a> is that undercover MPD Officer Nicholas Tomasula\u2014seen \u200cin video footage encouraging protesters to go up the northwest steps to the \u2064Capitol\u2014had also infiltrated the Proud Boys \u201cagainst MPD policy \u200cand in violation of federal law.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode\">\n<div class=\"border-comp-divider mb-4 mr-4 w-full max-w-[500px] border px-5 py-4 text-[16px] leading-[20px] text-[#262626] md:float-left\">\n<div class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related Stories<\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/prosecutor-admits-dc-police-officers-acted-as-provocateurs-at-us-capitol-on-jan-6-5148808\">Prosecutor Admits DC Police Officers Acted \u2064as Provocateurs at US Capitol on Jan. 6<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">3\/24\/2023<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/prosecutor-admits-dc-police-officers-acted-as-provocateurs-at-us-capitol-on-jan-6-5148808\"><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/federal-judge-leans-toward-release-of-jan-6-undercover-dc-police-video-5098509\">Federal Judge Leans Toward Release of Jan. 6 Undercover DC Police Video<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">3\/3\/2023<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/federal-judge-leans-toward-release-of-jan-6-undercover-dc-police-video-5098509\"><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Mr. Pope\u200b asked Judge Contreras to compel the U.S.\u2062 Department of Justice to produce an \u201cunredacted\u2063 copy of the\u200c 90 \u200cpages of text messages\u2064 between \u200cundercover Officer Tomasula and the Proud Boys he infiltrated.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>An MPD internal investigation and Mr. Pope\u2019s own research have \u201cidentified that other undercover MPD\u200c officers \u200bwere, in real-time, praising protestors who broke\u2063 windows at the Capitol, and thanking persons \u200bwho removed fencing,\u201d the filing stated.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy research has also revealed that several undercover officers were recording media that has not yet been produced in discovery,\u201d Mr. Pope wrote. \u201cThe government has also failed to produce all body camera recordings in discovery.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/rumble.com\/v39g1iz-exhibit-1-bodycam-footage-from-officer-matthew-fleming.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">body camera<\/a> of MPD Officer Matthew Fleming reveals that department supervisors ordered officers to fall back\u2063 on the west side of the Capitol, \u2062which gave \u200bprotesters \u201cfree access\u201d to enter the\u2064 building, Mr. Pope wrote.<\/p>\n<div style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"aligncenter\"><figcaption>MPD detectives Michael Callahan and Ricardo Leiva \u200dwalked\u200d up the\u200b northwest steps of \u2064the U.S. Capitol\u2064 just behind Ashli Babbitt. (U.S. \u200dDistrict Court\/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cFor \u200ctwelve minutes, these MPD officers stood back and watched people\u2062 enter the\u2064 Capitol,\u201d the document said.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Fleming\u2019s body camera also captured MPD Officer Jawaun Campbell remarking of MPD leadership, \u201cI can\u2019t believe they let them in.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/rumble.com\/v39fzi9-exhibit-3-bodycam-footage-from-officer-joseph-young.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">body camera<\/a> of Officer Joseph Young also shows\u200b that at 2:27 p.m., MPD Officer Lynn Pittmon said, \u201cWe [expletive] this [expletive] all the way up.&#8221; Officer Pittmon then &#8220;disdainfully curses&#8221; \u2063MPD Inspector Robert Glover\u2014the department&#8217;s \u2062incident commander\u2014saying, \u201cThere should have\u200c been a riot set up before they even got \u2064here, bro.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Pope \u2063previously disclosed that MPD Officer Terry Thorne waved protestors toward the Capitol, as well as another officer who said that protestors should be allowed to \u201ctake this [expletive]\u201d as people entered the west door, according to the document.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Since undercover police are not uniformed, they influence the crowd as presumed \u2064peers,&#8221; Mr. Pope wrote. &#8220;The \u2063only way to \u200bdetermine the precise relevance of their video is for the defense to review what\u200c undercover officers recorded and assess how that relates to the facts of a specific case.<\/p>\n<p>In a February <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/undercover-dc-police-officer-pushed-protesters-toward-capitol-climbed-over-barricade-court-filing-5067663\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">case filing,<\/a> Mr. Pope disclosed that three undercover MPD officers\u2014now identified as Mr.\u200b Tomasula, Detective\u200c Ricardo Leiva, and \u200cDetective Michael Callahan\u2014joined the march of protesters up the\u2063 northwest stairs. Mr. Tomasula &#8220;pushed protesters in front of him \u200cto advance on the Capitol, shouting, &#8216;C&#8217;mon, c&#8217;mon, \u2062c&#8217;mon, let\u2019s go!&#8217;\u201d Mr. Pope wrote.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Tomasula&#8217;s actions on Jan. 6 became the subject of an MPD <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-labor-secretary-stonewalled-release-of-sex-abuse-docs\/\" title=\"Report: Labor Secretary Stonewalled Release of Sex Abuse Docs\">internal affairs investigation<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;In an attempt to explain why he\u200b assisted others up the steps, &#8216;Tomasula stated he called to the crowd to \u200c\u2018help them up\u2019 \u200bas others were climbing up to the marble railing because he didn\u2019t want them to fall and get hurt,&#8217;\u201d according to one investigation document quoted by \u2062Mr. Pope.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Tomasula told MPD internal affairs that he went up the steps because he \u201cbelieved he couldn\u2019t get out and forward was the only \u200ddirection he could go,\u201d the document said.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Tomasula\u200c was part of &#8220;Team \u200d2,&#8221; one of eight MPD\u200d Electronic\u200d Surveillance Unit (ESU) teams in operation on Jan. 6.<\/p>\n<div style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"aligncenter\"><figcaption>Members of a Metropolitan Police\u2063 Department \u2064Electronic\u2062 Surveillance Unit inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (U.S. District Court\/Screenshot via\u2064 The Epoch Times)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Three officers \u2063assigned to ESU\u2063 teams were carrying\u200c camcorders. Two officers, including Mr. Tomasula, were carrying GoPro cameras. Eight officers, including\u200d Mr. Leiva, were assigned to carry cellphones capable of live-streaming video to the MPD Joint Operations\u2063 Command Center,\u200d Mr. Pope wrote.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Pope has made several recent \u200cfilings with Judge Contreras complaining that federal prosecutors haven&#8217;t turned over requested exculpatory materials. He\u2063 asked for all video recordings made by 28 Electronic Surveillance Unit members who were embedded \u2063in the crowds on Jan. 6.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Since after many attempts to resolve these issues, the government shows no\u2063 indication they \u2062will provide these requested materials, I am asking the Court to compel production,&#8221; Mr. Pope wrote.<\/p>\n<h2>Proud Boys Connection<\/h2>\n<p>Mr. \u200bTomasula infiltrated the Proud Boys at a bar and a hotel on Dec. 11\u201312, 2020, the filing stated. He continued to communicate with the Proud Boys using\u2064 an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/isis-inspired-nyc-bomber-sentenced-to-life-in-prison\/\" title=\"ISIS-Inspired NYC Bomber Sentenced to Life In Prison\">encrypted messaging app<\/a>. He \u2062later reported that he destroyed the phone that contained the messages, the filing said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The government has an \u2063obligation to \u200dproduce the full facts of Tomasula\u2019s\u2062 involvement on and before January 6,&#8221; Mr. Pope wrote, &#8220;as well as an explanation for why his phone and communications were \u200cdestroyed and\u2062 why his remaining texts are\u200c now fully redacted.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>During the internal affairs investigation of Mr. Tomasula, Mr. \u200dLeiva admitted &#8220;that when he had seen someone breaking a window at\u2064 the Capitol, \u200che ran up to them saying, &#8216;Hey what\u2019s up, man, you\u2019re doing an amazing job, awesome, awesome, \u2062awesome.&#8217;\u201d Mr. Pope wrote. \u2062&#8221;Leiva claims he ran up to the man to record\u2062 the glass-breaker\u2019s face, but the \u200dgovernment has not produced this recording in\u2064 discovery.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The document says that Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt, who was shot and killed at the Capitol at 2:45 p.m. on Jan. 6, was \u200bnear the Team 2 officers as \u2063they climbed the northwest steps. It\u200d is &#8220;likely Mrs. Babbitt was next <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A federal court filing alleges that on Jan. 6, 2021, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers allowed protesters free access to a U.S. Capitol door for 12 minutes. This occurred after supervisors ordered them to retreat, with one officer expressing disbelief at the decision. Defendant William Pope, 37, is implicated in the filing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":347,"featured_media":2007697,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2007696","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2007696","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/347"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2007696"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2007696\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2007697"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2007696"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2007696"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2007696"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}