Deployment mystery: Why was DC Police tactical unit sent to Pelosi's house during shooting of Rep. Steve Scalise?

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Tue, 01 Aug 2017 14:50 UTC

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This one's weird...

An internal investigation has been opened to find out why D.C Capitol Police sent it's elite tactical team to Nancy Pelosi's waterfront condo during the shooting of congressman Steve Scalise (R-LA), according to Bloomberg.

The tactical squad did make it to the Eugene Simpson Stadium Park in Alexandria, Virginia, where the shooting took place and it's unclear how much time the unit lost because of the mix-up. It also wasn't clear whether the squad arrived at Pelosi's house or was redirected en route. -Bloomberg

Scalise was shot at the Eugene Simpson Stadium Park in Alexandria, Virginia - while Pelosi's residence is over seven miles away.

On Monday, Capitol Police spokesperson Eva Malecki stated "The Alexandria incident continues to be an ongoing investigation. We do not comment on ongoing investigations."

Congressional Republicans were practicing for an annual baseball game vs. Democrats when James Hodgkinson of Belleville, IL showed up with a 9mm handgun and a 7.62 caliber rifle. Hodgkinson reportedly asked passers by where conservatives were practicing, before opening fire on the GOP members. Two officers assignd to Rep. Scalise's security detail were the first to return fire at the gunman, followed by Alexandria police officers. The shooter was shot dead before the Capitol Police tactical team re-routed from Pelosi's residence - late to the party.

Scalise was seriously injured in the shooting, undergoing multiple surgeries only to be released last week.

Comment: From the Bloomberg article:

The U.S. Capitol Police department opened an internal investigation into why its elite tactical team was initially directed to respond to the wrong location when a gunman opened fire last month at a GOP congressional baseball practice, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Instead of responding directly to the Virginia field where House Majority Whip Steve Scalise and several others were shot, members of the Capitol Police Containment and Emergency Response Team were signaled instead to go to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's house in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, several miles away, according to the two people, who asked for anonymity to speak about the sensitive incident.

"The Alexandria incident continues to be an ongoing investigation. We do not comment on ongoing investigations," Eva Malecki, a Capitol Police spokesperson, said Monday. Spokesmen for both the House and Senate sergeant at arms' offices referred questions to Capitol Police.

The tactical squad did make it to the Eugene Simpson Stadium Park in Alexandria, Virginia, where the shooting took place and it's unclear how much time the unit lost because of the mix-up. It also wasn't clear whether the squad arrived at Pelosi's house or was redirected en route.

One of the people familiar with the incident said police are saying the unit's delayed reaction had no operational impact. Local Alexandria police officers responded quickly to the shooting site.

Investigators are still reviewing how and why the initial misdirection occurred. One possibility being reviewed is a transponder mix-up, or a transponder code being used for the wrong congressional leader, said the people familiar with the events.
[...]

Police have said two Capitol Police officers were already at the field because they were assigned to Scalise's security detail. They were the first to return fire at the gunman. Quick-arriving Alexandria police officers also took fire from the gunman. Authorities haven't said which officers fired the fatal shots.