PICTURED: Armed MAGA Supporter who was arrested yards from Capitol while carrying list of lawmakers and 'Stop the Steal' paperwork - at same time police chief was announcing she wants fencing to be PERMANENT
These are the first pictures of the armed MAGA supporter arrested in possession of a list of lawmakers and 'Stop the Steal' paperwork yards from the US Capitol building on Wednesday.
Dennis Warren Westover, 71, of South Charleston, was charged with gun offences after officers found a pistol and 20 rounds of 9mm bullets during a search of his car.
Cops also found 'Stop the Steal' paperwork and contact information for both US and West Virginia lawmakers in his vehicle.
In a statement, police said they pursued a man who had parked his vehicle in the center of a Washington DC intersection and continued to walk along the road near the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial.
Westover was agitated, shouting at National Guard members inside the Capitol fence line perimeter, according to police reports.
The 71-year-old told the arresting officer, 'I wanted to see the fence that was around ´my Capitol.''
West Virginia man Dennis Warren Westover, 71, was arrested for gun and ammunition charges after being found in possession of a pistol near the US Capitol on Wednesday. Cops said they found lawmakers' contact information and 'Stop the Steal' paperwork in his vehicle
Westover is pictured with his fiancee Gail Howell Thornhill in an undated photograph. Cops said the 71-year-old was agitated and shouting at National Guard members inside the US Capitol building's fence perimeter
National Guard members walk behind the razor wire fence perimeter outside the US Capitol building last week
Westover´s arrest came three weeks after the 6 January riot in the Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump, which left five people dead.
According to court documents, Westover told detectives during an interview that he 'was concerned about the honesty and integrity of the election, and now he listens to both sides.'
The documents said Westover, who was cooperative during his arrest and questioning, said 'we have some polar extremes of opinion in this nation' and that while he 'believes there was election fraud at this point it is a moot point.'
Westover is pictured with his fiancee Ms Thornhill. The 71-year-old was arrested three weeks after the storming of the US Capitol building on 6 January
Westover speaks during a pro-Trump gathering (right) and in front of the Liberty Bell replica in Charleston, West Virginia (left)
Westover also said 'the process I am engaged in is righteousness, justice, and truth,' according to the documents.
The 71-year-old was released on his own recognizance after a hearing Thursday in a court in Washington. A public defender was appointed for Westover, who could not immediately be located for comment.
Westover's identification as the suspect in Wednesday's events comes after the US Capitol's acting police chief recommended that the fence erected around the Capitol following the 6 January MAGA riots should be left up permanently.
Acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda D Pittman (pictured) on Thursday recommended that the fencing erected around the Capitol after the January 6 MAGA riots should be left up permanently
Acting Chief Yogananda D Pittman made the recommendation in a statement on Thursday regarding her department's efforts to 'harden' security around the Capitol to prevent another insurrection in the future.
Pittman, who was promoted to lead the force after former chief Steven Sund stepped down in the wake of the riots, also voiced support for permanently keeping 'ready, back up forces in close proximity to the Capitol'.
Following the insurrection, more than 25,000 National Guard troops were drafted in from all 50 states and a Baghdad-style 'Green Zone' perimeter was set up in the heart of DC to prevent a repeat attack on Inauguration Day.
While the day passed without significant issue, army officials have confirmed more than 5,000 National Guard troops will remain in Washington DC through mid-March amid concerns that the threat of domestic violent extremism will linger for some time.
Pittman's statement came two days after she apologized to Congress on behalf of her department for stunning security failures on January 6 and acknowledged that the agency had been forewarned of a 'strong potential for violence' but failed to take adequate steps to prevent it.
Meanwhile Democratic lawmakers are pushing for additional funds for security under an effort led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
National Guardsmen are seen outside the Capitol on Tuesday. Earlier this week army officials confirmed more than 5,000 troops will remain in Washington DC through mid-March
Pittman's statement came two days after she apologized to Congress on behalf of her department for stunning security failures on January 6 and acknowledged that the agency had been forewarned of a 'strong potential for violence' but failed to take adequate steps to stop it
Pittman's Thursday statement read: 'In the days following January 6, 2021, with the assistance of our Federal and local law enforcement partners, and our Congressional stakeholders, the United States Capitol Police (USCP) has hardened the physical security across the Capitol Complex in order to further protect the Congress.
'Upon becoming the Acting Chief on January 8, 2021, I immediately directed my staff to conduct a physical security assessment of the entire Capitol Complex. This assessment is in addition to the USCP's Inspector General's review of the events of January 6, 2021, and the third-party review of the Complex's physical infrastructure, processes, and command and control being conducted at the behest of Speaker Pelosi by retired Lt Gen Russel Honore.
'I welcome each of these reviews, and am ensuring that the Department will provide all of the information that is necessary to facilitate these studies. In the end, we all have the same goal - to prevent what occurred on January 6 from ever happening again.
'As I noted earlier this week, even before September 11, 2001, security experts argued that more needed to be done to protect the U.S. Capitol. In fact, a 2006 security assessment specifically recommended the installation of a permanent perimeter fence around the Capitol.
'In light of recent events, I can unequivocally say that vast improvements to the physical security infrastructure must be made to include permanent fencing, and the availability of ready, back-up forces in close proximity to the Capitol.
'I look forward to working with Congress on identifying the security improvements necessary to ensure the safety and security of the Congress and the U.S. Capitol.'
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser chimed in soon after, writing on Twitter: 'Based on conversations with federal partners, there are some potentially volatile events upcoming that will require extra security. Fencing and the presence of troops will be a part of that.'
However, Bowser added: 'But we will not accept extra troops or permanent fencing as a long-term fixture in DC.
'When the time is right, the fencing around the White House and U.S. Capitol, just like the plywood we've seen on our businesses for too long, will be taken down.'
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser chimed in on the security discussions soon after Pittman released her statement
Around the time Bowser released her statement, authorities announced that they had arrested a 71-year-old Trump supporter who was found parked near the Capitol with a gun, 20 rounds of ammunition, a list of lawmakers and 'Stop the Steal' paperwork.
Dennis Westover, of West Virginia, was taken into custody on Wednesday afternoon, according to a police report obtained by the Daily Beast.
Westover was described by the outlet as being obsessed with unfounded theories that the 2020 election was fraudulent.
He pleaded not guilty to charges of possession of unregistered ammunition and unlawful possession of a firearm in DC Superior Court on Thursday afternoon and was released.
Authorities have not said which lawmakers were on Westover's alleged list, but the incident underscored arguments by Pittman and Democrats that Capitol security needs to be amped up.
The statement released by Pittman on Thursday is shown in full above
National Guard members outside Capitol Hill on Tuesday as more than 5,000 stay behind to defend DC
A massive nonscalable fence was erected outside the White House following the MAGA riots
Pittman's statement on Thursday marked the second time this week that she has emphasized the need for increased security around the White House.
On Tuesday she testified before the House Appropriations Committee and acknowledged failures by her agency when a mob of President Donald Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol in a bid to block the certification of Joe Biden's election victory.
'On January 6th, in the face of a terrorist attack by tens of thousands of insurrectionists determined to stop the certification of Electoral College votes, the Department failed to meet its own high standards as well as yours,' Pittman told the committee, which oversees funding for USCP, in a statement obtained by DailyMail.com.
'Although the Department fulfilled its mission of protecting Members and democracy ultimately prevailed, the insurrectionists' actions and the Department's inability to immediately secure the U.S. Capitol emboldened the insurrectionists and horrified millions of Americans.'
'Let me be clear: the Department should have been more prepared for this attack,' she continued. 'By January 4th, the Department knew that the January 6th event would not be like any of the previous protests held in 2020.
'We knew that militia groups and white supremacists organizations would be attending. We also knew that some of these participants were intending to bring firearms and other weapons to the event. We knew that there was a strong potential for violence and that Congress was the target.
'The Department prepared in order to meet these challenges, but we did not do enough.'
Pittman's extraordinary admissions came nearly three weeks after a mob of Donald Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol in a bid to block the certification of Joe Biden's election victory
The statement offered the most detailed account yet of the USCP's preparations for the insurrection, which led to the deaths of five people, including one of its officers.
Pittman confirmed for the first time that the Capitol Police Board had denied a January 4 request from Sund to declare a state of emergency and authorize the deployment of National Guard troops for support.
Once the violence began to unfold, the Board delayed sending in troops for an hour after receiving a second request from Sund.
Describing the few preparations that were made beforehand, Pittman said the USCP required all available officers to be on call, activated its SWAT team and increased the number of Civil Disturbance Units scheduled to work that day.
But she said the more than 1,200 officers stationed at the Capitol were 'no match for the tens of thousands of insurrectionist (many armed) attacking the Capitol and refusing to comply with lawful orders'.
Two out of three members of the elusive Capitol Police Board - House Sergeant-at-Arms Paul D Irving and Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Michael C Stenger - have already resigned. The third member, Architect of the Capitol J Brett Blanton, is still on the board.
She said she personally ordered a lockdown of all Capitol entrances when the 'mob' edged closer to the building, but said her order 'may not have been consistently followed'.
Pittman said many officers are now suffering from PTSD, 'particularly after the loss of two of our officers directly and indirectly as a result of the events of January 6th'
Pittman acknowledged the monumental challenges her agency faced during the chaos, noting that some resources had to be diverted away from the Capitol with the discoveries of a vehicle filled with explosives and a pipe bomb at the Republican National Convention headquarters and a vehicle.
'In my experience, I do not believe there was any preparations that would have allowed for an open campus in which lawful protesters could exercise their first amendment right to free speech and at the same time prevented the attack on Capitol grounds that day,' she said.
But she added: 'I do believe certain challenges the Department faced the day of the attack could have been overcome with additional preparation.'
She said that officers were not adequately supplied with crowd control munitions and there were issues with communication because they couldn't hear their radios over the commotion.
Pittman said many officers are now suffering from PTSD, 'particularly after the loss of two of our officers directly and indirectly as a result of the events of January 6th'.
Officer Brian Sicknick was killed during the insurrection when he was allegedly hit over the head by a fire extinguisher. Officer Howard Liebengood died by apparent suicide four days later.
In a court filing on Monday, the Department of Justice revealed that 81 USCP officers were assaulted during the chaos, along with 58 members of the Washington Metropolitan Police Department.
And at least 38 Capitol cops have tested positive for COVID-19 in the nearly three weeks since, though it is unclear how many of them were on duty during the assault.
Pittman concluded her statement by saying: 'As the Acting Chief, I take responsibility for the mistakes that were made by the Department, and I pledge to this Committee, the Congress, the American people, and my USCP colleagues, that we will do better going forward, but we need to make changes.
'We know the eyes of the country and the world are upon us. The U.S. Capitol Police remain steadfast in addressing the new challenges that we face head on.'
Acting House Sergeant-at-Arms Timothy P Blodgett also addressed the appropriations committee on Tuesday and echoed Pittman's assertions, saying it's 'clear there was a failure of preparation'.
'Whether it was insufficient or conflicting intelligence, lacking ability to translate that intelligence into action, insufficient preparation or an inadequate ability to mobilize partner agencies for immediate assistance, a series of events, once thought unfathomable, unfolded allowing our most sacred halls to be breached,' Blodgett said.
Like Pittman, Blodgett said his entire team is committed to fixing what went wrong to prevent future attacks.
Disturbing footage from the riots has shown dozens of officers being crushed by crowds, dragged down steps, and struck with projectiles as the MAGA mob overwhelmed law enforcement to breach the legislature nearly three weeks ago.
One officer, Daniel Hodges, was filmed screaming for help as he was being crushed against a metal door frame, with blood pouring from his mouth. He has since recovered and returned to duty.
More than 150 of the thousands-strong crowd have since been arrested, with more suspects still being sought by federal authorities.
At least 31 officers in law enforcement agencies across 12 states are also currently being investigated over their suspect role in the riots.
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