By Jeff Charles
In another interesting twist, a former U.S. Capitol Police officer made an announcement that could even further damage the already-weakened narrative put forth by the left regarding the J6 riot. Since House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) decided to release all of the footage taken on Jan. 6, 2021, at the Capitol building, the riot has become a topic of conversation once again.
Former U.S. Capitol Police Lieutenant Tarik Johnson, who was present at the Capitol on that day, has been challenging the government narrative on the incident and has indicated that the authorities on the ground were ill-prepared for what happened. Now, he indicated that he would be releasing audio recordings that could further blow up the prevailing narrative and suggested a “set-up” and cover-up surrounding the issue.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Johnson indicated that he had spoken with legal counsel to understand the legalities surrounding the release of the audio to make sure he wasn’t opening himself up to legal problems.
The former police officer said he had entrusted the information to Tom Fitton of Judicial Watch and indicated that a journalist working with The Blaze “has permission to receive the info and do whatever he believes is best with that info in the unlikely event I disappear.”
Johnson ended by noting that officers from every agency that responded to the riot “should have been more prepared that day.”
On Sunday, Johnson released some of the audio, which included communication showing that a high-ranking Capitol officer was not cooperating with the effort to stop the situation from getting even further out of control.
“Here we go… Episode 1,” he wrote. “The mainstream media is telling you that J6 was an insurrection. Please tell me if the actions of Assistant Chief Yogananda Pittman were heroic and proper. To give so some context Pittman’s call sign is Unit 2 and she is sitting on a dias in the USCP Commander Center where she can hear the radio traffic and she has a 360 degree view of the outside of the Capitol.”
Johnson added, “She can also see the actives inside the Capitol where there is a camera. Chief Steven A Sund was on the phone trying to obtain approval for the National Guard’s assistance and assistance from other law enforcement agencies. I was on the ground trying to de-escalate the situation specially asking Pittman for help. My call sign was 405J-John.”
The audio backs up criticism against the Capitol Police that it failed to take decisive action on Jan. 6 despite having been warned about potential violence previously. He also called out Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger for opposing the release of the J6 footage and using non-disclosure agreements to keep officers silent.
This release introduces another dimension to the discourse surrounding J6. Johnson’s former position as a police officer gives him a perspective that those interested in weaponizing the incident against their political opposition would not want anyone to hear. There is a reason why the anti-Trump House Select Jan. 6 Committee would not bother to take testimony from Johnson.
As more footage continues to be released, it can only be expected that those claiming it was an “insurrection” that was “worse than 9/11” will have to spin harder to maintain their frantic narrative about the matter.
Jeff Charles is the host of “A Fresh Perspective” podcast. He is a contributor for RedState, Newsweek Opinion and also has a Substack called “Chasing Liberty.”
Jeff is also a freelance writer and political contributor who has appeared on Fox News, The Hill’s “Rising,” Fox Soul, Newsmax, and the First TV Network.
He enjoys reading, binging TV shows, learning to play the banjo (badly), and all things nerdy. He also believes that any steak cooked above medium rare is burnt, and an abomination.
Check out all of his information here.
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If you have a tip about a story of local government abuse, send him an email: jeff@afreshperspectiveshow.com