New Jan. 6 tapes reveal how Capitol cop used initiative to evacuate senators after boss went SILENT
New tapes from Jan. 6 reveal how the Capitol cop used his initiative to evacuate senators after the chief went silent: He was kicked out after wearing the MAGA hat to save his colleagues, Pelosi praised her, and she got a new prominent role
- Tucker Carlson discussed Tuesday night the actions of Lt. Tarik Johnson, a Capitol Hill police officer who resigned after the Jan. 6 riots.
- Carlson, who has been given 40,000 hours of Capitol surveillance footage by Kevin McCarthy, showed Johnson doing his job.
- A rioter gave Johnson a MAGA cap and he wore it, he says, for safety: Says he was forced to resign after photos of him in the Trump cap surfaced
Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Tuesday night condemned the treatment of a Capitol police officer caught on camera wearing a MAGA cap on January 6, arguing that surveillance tapes showed he was doing his job and which was forced out by mistake.
Carlson received 40,000 hours of footage from inside the Capitol, which House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said was a decision made for transparency.
On Monday, Carlson claimed that the footage showed the rioters to be “mostly peaceful.” On Tuesday, she spoke with Lt. Tarik Johnson about the riots and Johnson’s infamy after he was seen wearing the hat.
Johnson told Carlson that their bosses had failed them, saying Capitol Police commanders were ill-prepared and did not respond when he radioed for guidance.
He said it was embarrassing that his boss, Assistant Chief Yogananda Pittman, who oversaw department operations in the days before the riots, was praised by Nancy Pelosi and now finds herself in a comfortable role leading the police at the University. of California at Berkeley.
Lieutenant Tarik Johnson is seen on January 6 wearing a MAGA cap
Johnson told Tucker Carlson (right) that when he radioed for guidance amid the riots, there was no response.
“The front line officers and supervisors were completely unprepared,” Johnson told Carlson.
“We had no idea we were going to face what we faced that day.”
Carlson broadcast footage of Johnson appearing to help protect members of Congress inside the building when it was stormed.
Johnson was suspended the day after the riot, when footage of him wearing the MAGA cap emerged.
He then resigned, believing he had no future on the force.
Carlson featured Johnson diligently doing his job.
‘Around 2 o’clock I heard an officer say that the Capitol was breached. So I ran inside to help,” Johnson said, adding that he locked the doors to keep political leaders safe.
He then radioed his bosses for help.
“I said something to the effect that we need direction,” Johnson said.
‘What do you want me to do.
Nobody answered.
Johnson continued: “I was requesting permission to evacuate the senate side, the senate chambers, because I had a clear line of sight to get them out the senate door, and I didn’t get permission.
‘The dispatcher called a couple of times to see if he could get permission.
‘No response.’
He said that his superiors failed, so he had to take the initiative.
“The person I thought was going to authorize the evacuation didn’t,” Johnson said.
‘I wanted to get those members of Congress out as quickly as possible.
That’s why I started those evacuations.
He said he deliberately ignored the chain of command and standard procedures.
“Me being disciplined, it wasn’t as important as not keeping members of Congress and their staff safe.”
Carlson asked him about the moment he put on the MAGA cap.
“There was a protester to my right, and he came over and put the MAGA hat on me,” Johnson said.
“He asked me and I told him I’d like to keep it because the hat is going to help me.”
Carlson said: ‘It’s your passport through the crowd.’