Manhunt Underway for Capitol Rioters After Laptop Containing Sensitive Material Reportedly Stolen
A manhunt is underway after pro-Trump rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol Wednesday appear to [...]
A manhunt is underway after pro-Trump rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol Wednesday appear to have stolen a laptop that may contain sensitive national security information. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) shared that after returning to his office, he discovered rioters had ransacked the area and stolen a laptop that was sitting on a conference table.
The senator shared a video of his return to the office after rioters broke into the Capitol, disrupting the joint congressional session certifying electoral college votes cast for President-elect Joe Biden and forcing lawmakers to evacuate and take shelter. Merkley said the door to his office was unlocked, because he had planned to be in and out of his office through the evening, but rioters regardless "smashed the door virtually off its hinges."
The trail of destruction and looting. What happened today was an assault by the domestic terrorists who stormed the Capitol, but it was also an assault on our constitution.
— Senator Jeff Merkley (@SenJeffMerkley) January 7, 2021
[sound on] pic.twitter.com/BrELF7cMz1
The Oregon Democrat sits on several high-security Senate committees, including Foreign Relations and Appropriations. In addition to the laptop being stolen, rioters trashed Merkley's office, leaving a Trump 2020 flag in their wake. "You can see the debris is all over the floor," he narrated footage of the destruction.
Rioters also entered Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office suite, with one man even snapping a photo seated at a desk that he shared to social media. They also flipped tables and tore down photographs, as well as the plaque above Pelosi's door denoting her position.
Five people were killed in Wednesday's violence, including three who suffered medical emergencies and a woman who was shot by Capitol Police as "protesters were forcing their way toward the House Chamber where Members of Congress were sheltering in place," according to police. The woman, identified as Ashli Babbitt, 35, of San Diego, was later pronounced dead after being transported to a nearby hospital. The officer who shot her has been placed on administrative leave pending a joint investigation with Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.
More than 50 police officers were injured during Wednesday's attack, some of whom were hospitalized with "serious injuries," according to U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund. Friday, it was announced that U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick had died due to his injuries.
Numerous lawmakers are now pushing for Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment as they demand Trump to be removed from office. If Pence won't, Democrats have threatened to impeach Trump for a second time, with CNN reporting articles of impeachment are being pushed to the floor as "early as mid-next week."