Racism Long a Plague Within Capitol Police Force

KQED's Forum

Several Capitol police officers have been suspended, and at least a dozen are under investigation for possible complicity in the deadly siege of the U.S. Capitol last week. The actions of the officers -- including one who posed for a selfie with insurrectionists and another who appeared to direct the mob around the building -- have exposed anew the force's troubled history of discrimination against Black officers, who've lodged hundreds civil rights lawsuits against the force in the last two decades. We'll talk about the role of racism in igniting, and sustaining, the insurrection. And we'll also get an update on how state and federal authorities are responding to threats of extremist violence ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration next week.