FBI, NYPD informed Capitol Police about violent threats before riot: officials

Despite the tips, a senior FBI official said there was no way to predict the unprecedented acts of insurrection

Jan 11, 2021

It looks like Capitol Police had a heads up about potential violence headed their way before the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.

The New York City Police Department and the FBI warned Capitol Police about the potential danger that could surface during the protests so it is still unclear why they were so ill-prepared, reports NBC News.

Despite the social media posts advertising the riot, a senior FBI official said there was no way to predict the unprecedented acts that happened that day.

“Social media is just part of a full intelligence picture, and while there was First Amendment-protected activity on social media to include some people making threats, to this point, investigators have not found that there was an organized plot to access the Capitol.”

Reports say the FBI visited extremists who were under investigation prior to the event and advised them not to travel to D.C.

But D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee insisted they had no prior knowledge of the attack.

“There was no intelligence that suggested there would be a breach of the U.S. Capitol.”

But social media also tells a different story than some authorities are ‘fessing up to. According to the source, 8kun, a message board site used by QAnon, an alleged far-right group was advocating that ‘patriots’ head to the area specifically to commit acts of violence.

“You can go to Washington on Jan 6 and help storm the Capitol,” said an 8kun user. “As many Patriots as can be. We will storm the government buildings, kill cops, kill security guards, kill federal employees and agents, and demand a recount.”

Trump Supporters Hold "Stop The Steal" Rally In DC Amid Ratification Of Presidential Election — Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images

Digital flyers were also allegedly made on Instagram and Facebook last month with titles that read: “Operation Occupy the Capitol.”

“Prior to this event, the FBI obtained credible and actionable information about individuals who were planning on traveling to the protests who expressed a desire to engage in violence,” said a senior FBI official. “The FBI was able to discourage those individuals from traveling to D.C.”

He added, “The FBI and our federal, state and local partners collected and shared available intelligence in preparation for the various planned events.”

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