Steven Sund

Sund was chief when, on January 6, 2021, rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol building while Congress was counting the electoral votes of the 2020 presidential election. Rioters were able to reach the chambers of the Senate and the House of Representatives, marking the first time since 1814 that the Capitol building had been breached.[2] Five people died during the ensuing riot, including a Capitol Police officer who died the following day from injuries sustained during the riot.[3] Two additional police officers who were at the riots later committed suicide: US Capitol police officer Howard Liebengood, and Metropolitan police officer Jeffery Smith

In the immediate aftermath of the riot, Sund issued a statement defending his department's response.[4] Following the riots, law enforcement was heavily criticized for its inadequate response, especially in comparison to the George Floyd protests the previous summer; Capitol Police received a major backlash after video emerged of officers allowing rioters into the Capitol, with one officer filmed taking a selfie with rioters.[5][6][7][8] The following day, Sund and the Capitol Police came under criticism from multiple House members. U.S. Representative Zoe Lofgren – who chairs a committee responsible for Capitol security – accused Sund of lying to her before the event, about the preparations he had made and the readiness of the National Guard.[9] House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for Sund's resignation, stating that Sund hadn’t contacted her since the event.[10][4] Sund submitted his resignation that afternoon, which was effective on January 16, 2021.[11] An aide to speaker Pelosi later clarified that Pelosi had indeed spoken with Sund on the evening of January 6, but not after that time.[12]

In the days following the attack, Sund stated that he had asked for National Guard assistance, but his requests were denied six times.[13]