Police

The storming of the U.S. Capitol is taking a serious toll on the undermanned police officers who were on the front lines ... so their mental health is now a top priority.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... counseling services provided by the Capitol Police have been in high demand over the past week, as officers are reeling and grieving after the violence that took place on January 6.

As you know, the riots resulted in 5 deaths ... including Officer Brian D. Sicknick, who was killed by rioters, and officer Howard Liebengood died by suicide days later.

We're told Capitol PD brass is periodically encouraging the rank and file to utilize their Employee Assistance Program ... and welcoming administrative leave, if needed.

The program includes on-site, confidential counselors who can help employees cope with a wide range of issues. It's been in place for decades, and was a huge help to officers after 9/11.

Our sources say the counseling is available 24/7 -- usually via phone call -- and a large number of officers have been taking advantage of the program ... and it's likely saving lives.

This is one where the image tells the whole story ... members of the National Guard protecting the Capitol trying to get some much-needed sleep, using a cold, marble floor as a bed.

It's the embodiment of the phrase, "No rest for the weary." The Guard is protecting the building in the wake of hundreds of threats ... some vowing to murder members of Congress, as well as others.

With their weapons by their side, these guardsmen and guardswomen know how fragile the peace is, and despite enormous security surrounding the building, there is an ongoing, immediate threat ... and President Trump has done nothing to lower the temperature. It's undeniable he's the one who has turned up the heat.

President Trump says he is washing his hands of all responsibility for the Capitol Hill insurrections, saying what he told the crowd pre-riot was "totally appropriate."

Trump was leaving D.C. Tuesday for Alamo, Texas to brag about the border wall, when he was asked about his responsibility for last week's uprising.

Trump not only claimed his words were appropriate, he tried to deflect by saying the "riots" in Portland and Seattle were far worse, and in those cases, the politicians who supported the protests were the incendiary ones.

So, Trump thinks saying things like January 6 is going to be "wild," was not a dog whistle. And, apparently, he thinks what he told the crowd a week ago was innocent ... things like, "You'll never take back our country with weakness, you have to show strength and you have to be strong." He went on, "if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore."

By the way ... if he thinks everyone believes he acted appropriately, he's clearly ignoring Congress because he's about to get impeached.

There are 7 main groups of extremists that are organizing to descend on Washington D.C. for the Inauguration, and Capitol Police officials told Congress Monday night they all have one thing in common ... their allegiance to Donald Trump.

Congressional sources who were present late Monday for a security briefing tell TMZ ... the members were told these extremist groups, including the Proud Boys, have either a loose or no real connection to each other, especially since it's increasingly hard for them to go back and forth with each other on social media because of the various blackouts. Trump, they were told, is the glue that will hold these groups together once they assemble in D.C.

The Capitol Police and the Sergeant at Arms ran the meeting, and told members that security at the Inauguration will include metal detectors and even members of Congress must pass through. The officials running the meeting said they can't take anything for granted, especially given that there seems to be a small QAnon faction that presents a danger.

The meeting was frightening ... there was talk that the extremists might target Democrats for murder so the Republicans could take over Congress.

Our sources say the members have all been told they can get security for themselves if there is a "direct threat" to them, and that's already the case with many members of Congress.

There's something else ... D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has urged the public to stay away from the Inauguration. As a result, the members were informed there's an assumption the majority of the crowd could be comprised of these extremists. The silver lining ... they will be easier to ID. As one member told TMZ, "at least we will know who they are."

The FBI is honing in on 10 to 15 members of the Capitol Police, investigating whether they facilitated the insurrection by assisting in the planning of the riot and/or clearing the path for the rioters to overtake the Capitol.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, the FBI has made "considerable headway" in its investigation of the officers in question, and -- as it was put to us -- the conduct of the cops in question "ranges from getting out of the way of the rioters to something much more nefarious."

As for what's "more nefarious," as TMZ reported, the FBI believes some of the officers and other staffers in the building may have facilitated the takeover by helping the rioters navigate the building. The FBI believes certain moves were extremely suspicious, like almost instantly finding Nancy Pelosi's office even though a member of the public would probably have to search for an hour or more to find it. Something else suspicious ... how did rioters beeline for Rep. Jim Clyburn's office when the door does not even have a nameplate?

Our sources say the FBI looked at all the video and honed in on cops who were not blocking the path of the rioters. That isn't in itself a criminal offense, but the FBI believes people who didn't block the rioters may have more involvement. Two officers have already been suspended by the Department, but the FBI's conducting a criminal investigation.

To be fair to the officers ... as one source put it, some of them who stepped back from the riot may have done so because members of Congress had already been moved to a secure location, and the cops felt they would have gotten killed if they tried protecting property.

Our sources say the FBI investigation is far along, and they're not just looking at Capitol cops. They're looking at other staffers in the building as well.

Two Capitol Police officers are being temporarily relieved of duty after they were caught getting super chummy with rioters who stormed the building.

Rep. Tim Ryan made the announcement Monday, saying at least 2 cops who were on duty last Wednesday have been suspended for actions documented during the siege. Of the 2 -- who have yet to be identified -- one was apparently wearing a MAGA hat and directing insurrectionists on Capitol grounds ... the other took selfies with these folks.

The latter appears to have been captured on video ... a viral clip from that day has surfaced, and it shows a Capitol officer in a yellow vest and a black cap pausing to pose for a photo with one of the insurrectionists.

During a presser Monday, Rep. Ryan reportedly said Capitol Police are looking at everybody at this point ... including men and women in their own ranks.

As we first reported, the FBI believes there are signs of an inside job, and is investigating whether Capitol PD officers or civilian employees in the Capitol aided the rioters in any way.

TMZ also broke the story ... there could've been 4 times as many cops on hand Wednesday, and there probably should've been, considering the looming threats of violence ahead of the siege.

Las Vegas Raiders star Josh Jacobs is breathing easier today ... he won’t be hit with a DUI charge stemming from his car crash in Las Vegas last week -- according to his attorneys.

David Z. Chesnoff and Richard A. Schonfeld, who are repping Jacobs in the case, say the 22-year-old running back was only charged with failure to exercise due care by the district attorney on Monday.

"Josh appreciates the district attorney's thorough and complete review of the accident," Jacobs' attorneys said, "and we would like to thank the EMS and law enforcement at the scene."

FYI, failure to exercise due care is generally regarded as a minor offense ... usually punished with fines and community service.

It's obviously great news for Jacobs and his attorneys -- they clearly were effective in convincing the DA not to charge Josh with DUI after he wrecked his car near the airport at around 4:42 AM in Vegas on Jan. 4.

As we previously reported, cops say they had suspected Jacobs of drinking before getting behind the wheel ... claiming the NFL star smelled like alcohol when they questioned him shortly after the crash.

Jacobs and his attorneys, though, were adamant Josh did NOT drink and drive, saying at the time, "there are no blood test results to support a suggestion of impairment."

As for the injuries Jacobs suffered in the crash, his mug shot showed he suffered a huge gash on his forehead ... but it appears the running back will be fine going forward.

Capitol PD's outgoing Chief is calling out House and Senate security officials ... claiming they turned a deaf ear to his requests for backup in the days before the attempted coup.

Steven Sund -- who was severely criticized, and resigned after the Capitol riot -- is naming names on his way out the door. He told the Washington Post he was concerned about President Trump's planned rally on January 6, and voiced those concerns to the Sergeants at Arms for the Senate and for the House of Representatives.

Sund says he asked them to approve putting National Guard troops on standby in the days leading up to the Trump protest -- but says he was rejected each time. The reason? Sund claims the Sergeants told him it would be bad "optics" to fortify the Capitol that way ahead of the election verification vote.

Worth noting, both Sgts at Arms have since resigned their posts, just as Sund did after Congressional leaders -- including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi -- criticized the police response to the insurrectionists.

Miya Ponsetto is the symbol of white privilege, and her falsely accusing 14-year-old Keyon Harrold Jr. of stealing her phone is a modern-day reflection of what happened to Emmett Till … according to the Black teenager's mother.

Kat Harrold sounded off on Ponsetto for her actions during and since the December 26 incident at the Arlo Hotel in NYC, specifically, Miya’s denial of racism being a factor … and using her ethnicity and her age as an apparent shield for being held accountable.

According to Kat ... Miya being Puerto Rican doesn’t mean she's not racist, and being 22 years old doesn’t mean she’s too young to be excused for it. She points out that Emmett Till was killed as a result of false allegations made by a white woman who was 21 … and Kat believes that racial injustice is reflected in her son’s case.

Kat says the proof is in how the hotel reacted to the situation when Miya accused her son of stealing her phone. She claims the Arlo defaulted to questioning the Black teenager but did NOT question Miya. Kat says the hotel immediately sided with her instead and calls this a clear example of white privilege.

As for the Arlo … attorney Ben Crump and Keyon’s parents are calling for a ban until the hotel condemns the individual racism allegedly shown by Ponsetto, and takes responsibility for the racial profiling they believe it demonstrated.

They lay a lot of the blame on the hotel manager for not de-escalating the situation, and accuse him of treating the Black teen like he was guilty from the jump … forcing him to prove he did nothing wrong. Even worse, they point out that Miya was not even a patron of the hotel … yet she was treated with more respect than Keyon and his father, Keyon Sr. -- who were actually staying there.

Their rallying cry -- "No more, Arlo!"

As we've reported ... Ponsetto was arrested last week in SoCal, flown back to NYC where she was charged with attempted assault, attempted robbery, grand larceny and endangering the welfare of a child for her altercation with the teenager.

However, Miya was NOT charged with a hate crime, and the prosecutor never even mentioned any racial components to the case in court Saturday. Keyon Jr.'s parents -- Keyon and Kat -- previously told us they believe the ordeal is reflective of racial injustices as a whole.

Our nation's capital will be swarming with National Guard forces ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration ... after being absent for much of the failed coup.

The National Guard says it's increasing boots on the ground in D.C. to at least 10,000 troops by Saturday, drastically beefing up security 4 days before Biden moves into the White House.

National Guard troops made their presence known Monday, assembling in front of the Capitol ... 5 days after a mob overwhelmed the grossly under-deployed U.S. Capitol Police and stormed the building where Congress was voting to certify the election results.

Monday was a small show of force compared to what's to come by this weekend, and, additionally, protective fencing is going up all around the Capitol.

Diddy's got a big headache to ring in the new year ... the L.A. home he owns where his late soulmate, Kim Porter, died was hit by burglars.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... someone pried open a side door and entered his Toluca Lake home, triggering the security system.

We're told a caretaker discovered the break-in and it was clear -- someone rummaged through the house.

Cops took a burglary report and someone from Diddy's family will have to take a look around to see what, if anything, is missing.

As you know ... Kim, a model and actress, dated Diddy off and on for 13 years and they had 3 children together, including two daughters and a son.

One of the most notorious insurrectionists who stormed the U.S. Capitol with zip ties in his hand has now been arrested ... he's also been ID'd, and hails from Tennessee.

The FBI arrested 30-year-old Eric Munchel Sunday in Nashville -- this after confirming his identity on social media and elsewhere as the man who infiltrated the Senate chamber with a handful of plastic zip ties, wearing tactical gear. Charges have yet to be announced.

Social media sleuths tracked him down fast and pointed out he worked at a bar in Nashville. He's also apparently a big supporter of the Back the Blue cause ... there are several photos of him with a black and blue American flag on his now-deactivated Facebook page.

Oh, and he's also a big gun nut too ... there are photos of him with shotguns, handguns and semi-automatics. It also appears he's participated in local demonstrations in Nashville, decrying the COVID shutdowns at different points in 2020, and wearing bulletproof vests.

Speaking of weapons, the FBI reportedly recovered several weapons from Munchel during his arrest -- no word yet on whether any of the zip ties in question were recovered. Munchel was booked at Metro Nashville jail Sunday afternoon and is now being processed.

He was one of the rioters that the feds really wanted -- as there are operating theories he and others had plans to take U.S. lawmakers hostage (or worse) if given the opportunity.  AOC made it clear Sunday ... the goal of these rioters may have been to kill members of Congress.

A Proud Boys leader is now in federal custody after taking part in the Capitol siege and then claiming he was there as a reporter ... something law enforcement clearly ain't buying.

Nicholas Ochs -- who heads up the Hawaii faction of the far-right extremist group -- was arrested by FBI agents after touching down at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu ... this following his trip to D.C. to storm the Capitol.

According to an unsealed indictment, the feds are charging Ochs with unlawful entry into restricted buildings or grounds -- and they cite evidence they say Ochs himself laid out on social media and CNN ... the later to whom he made the ridiculous "journalist" comment.

The day after the insurrection, he claimed he was there working as a professional journalist, seemingly saying he had a right to be there and was not part of the riot. He also said he didn't break in ... he simply entered without incident.

Adding insult to injury ... the guy also posted a photo of him smoking a cigarette with a buddy, with a caption attached that reads, "Hello from the Capital lol."

Capitol Police just announced the death of another one of its officers, and he reportedly died by suicide.

Howard Liebengood, who was assigned to the Senate Division, is the second Capitol officer to die this week.

Liebengood is the second officer to die this week in the wake of the events at the Capitol. As we reported, Officer Brian D. Sicknick died from injuries he sustained during the riot.

The police say 51-year-old Liebengood was on Capitol Hill Wednesday when the insurrectionists stormed the Capitol. Punchbowl reporter Jake Sherman says his sources told him Liebengood's death was a suicide. He died Saturday while off duty.

Liebengood joined the Department in 2005.

Former Capitol Police Chief Terrance Gainer calls Liebengood's death a "line of duty casualty" ... clearly meaning even if it was a suicide there's a direct connection to the riot.

Liebengood was 51.

There's more evidence that the insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol had inside help.

TMZ broke the story ... the FBI believes there are people who work in the Capitol who may have assisted rioters in navigating the building ... in many cases without resistance.

Congressman Jim Clyburn had his office looted ... we know an iPad was stolen. We're told the Congressman, who has been sharply critical of Trump, is angry that the rioters found his office, which does NOT have a nameplate ... the door is unmarked, yet the rioters somehow picked that door as opposed to hundreds of others.

High-ranking Capitol police sources say Clyburn and other members believe someone from the inside must have helped located key offices.

As we reported, the FBI is especially suspicious of the way rioters zeroed in on Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office. It's virtually impossible to find in the maze, yet the rioters were inside her office within 11 minutes.

The FBI is looking to see if some Capitol cops were involved in helping the rioters. We're told authorities are looking at cell phone data -- especially from cell phones of the hundreds of officers who were off duty -- to see if they were in the building at the time of the riot. We're told the FBI is also looking at other staff who work in the building.

Arnold Schwarzenegger just delivered a stirring message to the country, warning people, remnants of Nazi Germany that he saw have a striking similarity to what we all just saw.

Arnold displayed the Conan sword and used it as a metaphor to describe how the United States can triumph over the Capitol rioters who want to tear this country apart. You gotta hear his description ... it rings true.

The former Cali Guv, who was born in Austria 2 years after the Nazis lost WWII, compared the Nazis to the rioters.

He talked about Kristallnacht -- The Night of Broken Glass -- where the Nazis went on a rampage against the Jews in 1938 and then said the Proud Boys were the Nazi equivalent.  He says last Wednesday was our Night of Broken Glass.

Arnold called the elected officials and other leaders who have been empowering Trump "spineless," saying they were too cowardly to stand up to the worst President in our history.

And, Arnold offered something interesting ... an understanding of what's behind the rioters.

He explained something he told Harvey during an episode of "Objectified," where he said as a child his dad was a failed Nazi supporter who lost the war, became a drunk and was physically abusive to young Arnold. He said his dad was like other dads in his neighborhood -- angry and abusive. He's clearly comparing the failed Nazis to the insurrectionists who invaded the Capitol.