WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. Capitol Police officer fired a gun inside a break room in a House office building on Tuesday and was promptly suspended — the latest stain for a police department struggling to regain the public’s trust following the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection and a recent communications failure that triggered an evacuation.
The agency said the officer discharged the firearm at around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday in the Cannon House Office Building and its Office of Professional Responsibility launched an investigation. The officer was suspended as the investigation continues, police said.
The circumstances surrounding the gun discharge were unclear, but no injuries were immediately reported.
Tuesday’s episode comes as the Capitol Police try to restore the trust of the public more than a year after thousands of rioters loyal to then-President Donald Trump pushed their way past overwhelmed officers — leaving many bloodied and bruised — in an effort to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election win.
Last month, the Capitol Police ordered the evacuation of the Capitol — sending congressional staffers fleeing from office buildings — over a plane that was flying near the complex. It turned out the plane was actually carrying members of the U.S. Army Golden Knights who later parachuted into Nationals Park, home of the Washington Nationals, for the team’s Military Appreciation Night.