PARIS —

Young rioters clashed with police into early Sunday and targeted a mayor's home with a burning car, injuring members of his family, as France saw a fifth night of unrest after the police killing of a teenager. Overall violence, however, appeared to lessen from previous nights.

Police made 719 arrests nationwide by early Sunday following a mass security deployment aimed at quelling France's worst social upheaval in years.

The crisis posed a new challenge to President Emmanuel Macron's leadership and exposed deep-seated discontent in low-income neighborhoods over discrimination and lack of opportunity.

The 17-year-old whose death Tuesday spawned the anger was laid to rest Saturday in a Muslim ceremony in Nanterre, a Paris suburb where emotions over his loss remain raw. He has been identified publicly only by his first name, Nahel.

As night fell Saturday, a small crowd gathered on the Champs-Elysees to protest his death and police violence but met hundreds of officers with batons and shields guarding the avenue and its boutiques. In a less chic Paris neighborhood, protesters set off firecrackers and lit barricades on fire as police shot back with tear gas and stun grenades.

A burning car hit the home of the mayor of the Paris suburb of l'Hay-les-Roses. Several schools, police stations, town halls and stores have been targeted by fires or vandalism in recent days but such a personal attack on a mayor's home is unusual.

Mayor Vincent Jeanbrun said his wife and one of his children were injured in the 1:30 a.m. attack while they were sleeping and he was in the town hall monitoring the violence.

Jeanbrun, of the conservative opposition Republicans party, said the attack represented a new stage of "horror and ignominy" in the unrest, and urged the government to impose a state of emergency.

Regional prosecutor Stephane Hardouin opened an investigation into attempted murder in the attack, telling French television that a preliminary investigation suggests the car was meant to ram the house and set it ablaze. He said a flame accelerant was found in a bottle in the car.

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne went to l'Hay-les-Roses to meet Jeanbrun along with Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin and other officials, and promised that "we're going to do everything to bring order back as soon as possible."

Macron planned to hold a special security meeting Sunday evening with Borne, Darmanin and the justice minister.

Skirmishes erupted in the Mediterranean city of Marseille but appeared less intense than the night before, according to the Interior Ministry. A bolstered police contingent arrested 55 people there.

Nationwide arrests were lower than the night before. Darmanin attributed that to "the resolute action of security forces."

More than 3,000 people have been detained overall since Nahel's death. The mass police deployment has been welcomed by some frightened residents of targeted neighborhoods and shop owners whose stores have been ransacked — but it has further frustrated those who see police behavior as the core of France's current crisis.

The unrest took a toll on Macron's diplomatic standing. On Saturday, a day before he was scheduled to depart, he postponed what would have been the first state visit to Germany by a French president in 23 years.

Hundreds of police and firefighters have been injured in the violence, although authorities haven't said how many protesters have been hurt. In French Guiana, an overseas territory, a 54-year-old died after being hit by a stray bullet.

On Saturday, Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti warned that young people who share calls for violence on Snapchat or other apps could face prosecution. Macron has blamed social media for fueling violence.

While concerts at the national stadium and smaller events around the country were canceled because of the violence and some neighborhoods suffered serious damage, life in other parts of France went on as usual.

Fans tuned into the start of the Tour de France cycling race in neighboring Spain; Marseille hosted a championship in pétanque — a game involving rolling metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden or plastic one; and families who could afford it headed for summer vacation.

In the capital, tourists thronged to the Eiffel Tower, where workers set up a nearby clock counting down to next year's Paris Olympics. A short walk from Nanterre, a shopping mall bustled Sunday with customers from all walks of life.

Hundreds of mourners stood on a road Saturday leading to a hilltop cemetery in Nanterre to pay tribute to Nahel as his white casket was carried from a mosque to his grave. His mother, dressed in white, walked inside the cemetery amid applause. Many of the men were young and Arab or Black, coming to mourn a boy who could have been them.

Nahel's mother told France 5 television that she was angry at the officer who shot her son at a traffic stop, but not at the police in general.

"He saw a little Arab-looking kid. He wanted to take his life," she said. Nahel's family has roots in Algeria.

Video of the killing showed two officers at the window of the car, one with his gun pointed at the driver. As the teenager pulled forward, the officer fired once through the windshield. The officer accused of killing Nahel was given a preliminary charge of voluntary homicide.

Thirteen people who didn't comply with traffic stops were fatally shot by French police last year, and three this year, prompting demands for more accountability. France also saw protests of police violence and racial injustice after George Floyd's killing by police in Minnesota.

The reaction to the killing was a potent reminder of the persistent poverty, discrimination and limited job prospects in neighborhoods around France where many trace their roots to former French colonies.

In 2005, France was shaken by weeks of riots prompted by the death of two teenagers who were electrocuted in a power substation in the Paris suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois while fleeing police. Several buildings there were set on fire this week -- including the town hall, a high school, library and a supermarket.

"I feel hate toward the police officer who killed Nahel. He wanted to kill him," said 15-year-old Abdel Moucer, a Clichy resident. "In 2005 when Zyed and Bouna were killed, we had no video and no social media. Today we have all seen what happened.''

But Moucer lamented the recent violence and the damage it has wrought on disadvantaged towns like his.

"I feel sad, I don't know why they set the town hall on fire," he said.

At the foot of a bridge near the Eiffel Tower where generations of couples have attached padlocks to symbolize lasting love, a Senegalese man selling cheap locks and keys shook his head when asked if Nahel's killing and the ensuing violence would change anything.

"I doubt it," he said, giving only his first name, Demba, for fear of retaliation. "The discrimination is too profound."

PARIS —

Rioting raged in cities around France for a fourth night despite a huge police deployment and 1,311 arrests, with cars and buildings set ablaze and stores looted, as family and friends prepared Saturday to bury the 17-year-old whose killing by police unleashed the unrest.

France's Interior Ministry announced the new figure for arrests around the country, where 45,000 police officers fanned out in a so-far unsuccessful bid to quell violence.

Despite an appeal to parents by President Emmanuel Macron to keep their children at home, street clashes between young protesters and police raged on. About 2,500 fires were set and stores were ransacked, according to authorities.

The funeral ceremony for the teen, identified only as Nahel, who was killed by police in the Paris suburb of Nanterre on Tuesday, began on Saturday. Family and friends were viewing the open coffin before it will be taken to a mosque for a ceremony and later burial in a town cemetery.

As the number of arrests continued to mount, the government suggested the violence was beginning to lessen thanks to tougher security measures.

Still, the damage was widespread, from Paris to Marseille and Lyon and even far away, in the French territories overseas, where a 54-year-old died after being hit by a stray bullet in French Guiana.

Video below: French president says violence 'unjustifiable'

France’s national soccer team — including international star Kylian Mbappe, an idol to many young people in the disadvantaged neighborhoods where the anger is rooted — pleaded for an end to the violence.

“Many of us are from working-class neighborhoods, we too share this feeling of pain and sadness” over the killing of 17-year-old Nahel, the players said in a statement. “Violence resolves nothing. … There are other peaceful and constructive ways to express yourself.”

They said it's time for “mourning, dialogue and reconstruction” instead.

The slaying of Nahel stirred up long-simmering tensions between police and young people in housing projects who struggle with poverty, unemployment and racial discrimination. The subsequent rioting is the worst France has seen in years and puts new pressure on Macron, who blamed social media for fueling violence.

Anger erupted in the Paris suburb after Nahel's death there Tuesday and quickly spread nationwide.

Early Saturday, firefighters in Nanterre extinguished blazes set by protesters that left scorched remains of cars strewn across the streets. In the neighboring suburb Colombes, protesters overturned garbage bins and used them for makeshift barricades.

Video below: Police in France conduct raids across country after violence

Looters during the evening broke into a gun shop and made off with weapons in the Mediterranean port city of Marseille, police said. Officers in Marseille arrested nearly 90 people as groups of protesters lit cars on fire and broke store windows to take what was inside.

Buildings and businesses were also vandalized in the eastern city of Lyon, where a third of the roughly 30 arrests made were for theft, police said. Authorities reported fires in the streets after an unauthorized protest drew more than 1,000 people earlier Friday evening.

In Friday's night violence, 917 people were arrested nationwide, 500 buildings targeted, 2,000 vehicles burned and dozens of stores ransacked.

While the number of overnight arrests was the highest yet, there were fewer fires, cars burned and police stations attacked around France than the previous night, according to the Interior Ministry. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin claimed the violence was of “much less intensity.”

Hundreds of police and firefighters have been injured, including 79 overnight, but authorities haven't released injury tallies for protesters.

Nanterre Mayor Patrick Jarry said that France needs to “push for changes” in disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Despite repeated government appeals for calm and stiffer policing, Friday saw brazen daylight violence, too. An Apple store was looted in the eastern city of Strasbourg, where police fired tear gas, and the windows of a fast-food outlet were smashed in a Paris-area shopping mall, where officers repelled people trying to break into a shuttered store, authorities said.

In the face of the escalating crisis that hundreds of arrests and massive police deployments have failed to quell, Macron held off on declaring a state of emergency, an option that was used in similar circumstances in 2005.

Instead, his government ratcheted up its law enforcement response, with the mass deployment of police officers, including some who were called back from vacation.

Video below: Aftermath of violent clashes between police and protesters in France

Darmanin ordered a nationwide nighttime shutdown Friday of all public buses and trams, which have been among rioters’ targets. He also said he warned social networks not to allow themselves to be used as channels for calls to violence.

“They were very cooperative,” Darmanin said, adding that French authorities were providing the platforms with information in hopes of cooperation identifying people inciting violence.

“We will pursue every person who uses these social networks to commit violent acts,” he said.

Macron, too, zeroed in on social media platforms that have relayed dramatic images of vandalism and cars and buildings being torched. Singling out Snapchat and TikTok, he said they were being used to organize unrest and served as conduits for copycat violence.

The violence comes just over a year before Paris and other French cities are due to host 10,500 Olympians and millions of visitors for the summer Olympic Games. Organizers said they are closely monitoring the situation as preparations for Paris 2024 continue.

The police officer accused of killing Nahel was handed a preliminary charge of voluntary homicide. Preliminary charges mean investigating magistrates strongly suspect wrongdoing, but need to investigate more before sending a case to trial. Nanterre prosecutor Pascal Prache said that his initial investigation led him to conclude that the officer’s use of his weapon wasn’t legally justified.

Nahel’s mother, identified as Mounia M., told France 5 television that she was angry at the officer, but not at the police in general. “He saw a little Arab-looking kid, he wanted to take his life,” she said.

“A police officer cannot take his gun and fire at our children, take our children’s lives,” she said. The family has roots in Algeria.

Race was a taboo topic for decades in France, which is officially committed to a doctrine of colorblind universalism. In the wake of Nahel’s killing, French anti-racism activists renewed complaints about police behavior.

Thirteen people who didn’t comply with traffic stops were fatally shot by French police last year. This year, another three people, including Nahel, died under similar circumstances. The deaths have prompted demands for more accountability in France, which also saw racial justice protests after George Floyd’s killing by police in Minnesota.

This week’s protests echoed the three weeks of rioting in 2005 that followed the deaths of 15-year-old Bouna Traoré and 17-year-old Zyed Benna, who were electrocuted while hiding from police in a power substation in Clichy-sous-Bois.

___

Lewis Joly reported from Nanterre. Claire Rush in Portland, Oregon, and Angela Charlton in Paris, contributed to this report.

The congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 attacks on the U.S. Capitol has asked for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy's voluntary cooperation.

In a letter to McCarthy, committee chairman Bennie G. Thompson notes the Republican's public statements about speaking with former President Donald Trump on Jan. 6.

He told Norah O'Donnell of CBS News that he was "very clear with the president" when he called him.

"This has to stop and he has to go to the American public and tell them to stop this," McCarthy said.

Thompson claims McCarthy can provide the committee with information about Trump’s state of mind during the attack.

The committee also wants to question McCarthy about conversations he had with Trump and White House staff days after the attack.

Thompson said the committee would like to meet with McCarthy in early February but added that it would accommodate his schedule.

Late Wednesday, McCarthy issued a statement that says the "investigation is not legitimate."

He went on to say he will not participate in the investigation.

Sen. Ted Cruz has attempted to clarify his remarks about the Jan. 6 attacks on the U.S. Capitol.

Prior to the one-year anniversary of the riots, Cruz described the violence as a "violent terrorist attack" during a hearing in the Senate.

The comments led to criticism from some conservatives, including Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

On Thursday, Cruz went on Carlson's show to address the criticism.

"The way I phrased things yesterday, it was sloppy and it was, frankly, dumb," Cruz told Carlson.

The Fox News host told Cruz he didn't buy that explanation.

Cruz went on to say that he was describing those who violently assaulted police officers as terrorists. He claimed he has referred to those who violently attack police as terrorists for years.

The senator from Texas was among numerous members of Congress who voted to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

CINCINNATI — Protests in response to the death of George Floyd remained peaceful in Cincinnati until about 11:00 p.m. Friday, when police administered smoke canisters around protesters and some demonstrators began smashing out windows of businesses in Over-The-Rhine.

Eleven people had been arrested during violence and property destruction lasting until 5 a.m., Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac said at a Saturday press conference. Their charges ranged from burglary to resisting arrest, theft and more.

Isaac said as people threw rocks and bottles, multiple rounds of pepper ball irritant and gas were used to disperse crowds. Two officers had minor injuries.

WCPO’s Jasmine Minor said some small boutique owners near the corner of 12th Street and Vine Street will have to spend Saturday morning dealing with the broken glass in their shops and on the sidewalks. The extent of that damage around the neighborhood is still unclear.

According to WCPO’s Courtney Francisco, some threw large rocks at police cars and slit the tires on a police cruiser. The main group of protesters who started the night before around 6:00 p.m. condemned the actions of these individuals, saying they want their message against police brutality to be heard.

Most of the damage was limited to the windows of shops and boutiques, and several stores were looted overnight.

Peacefully, some lined up in front of police on their knees while others chanted. Police eventually threw smoke canisters to clear out violent crowds while other demonstrators caused damage to area businesses for hours into the night.

Isaac said he stands with protesters outraged at the death of Floyd and others at the hands of police, but he is urging people to be respectful of property and others.

“Feel free to come out and express your right to a peaceful demonstration, but respect people’s property, respect each other's physical person. Make sure everyone is safe,” Isaac said. “We are still in a pandemic. This was a large crowd of people in very close proximity. It’s very concerning.”

Other organizers planned to hold peaceful protests Saturday in Washington Park and Lincoln Statue Park in Avondale. A protest in Northside’s Jacob Hoffner park has been canceled -- organizers said they want everyone to stay home and stay safe.

Mayor John Cranley has ordered a curfew for Downtown and Over-The-Rhine starting at 10 p.m. Saturday and ending 6 a.m. Sunday.

ONGOING COVERAGE

TAMPA, Fla. — At a Tampa mall on May 30, Hillsborough County Deputy William Scobie was on the frontline as hundreds of rioters put on a relentless attack lasting several hours.

The violence came in waves. Periods of calm were followed by coordinated attacks on Hillsborough County deputies and Tampa police standing in front of University Mall.

At one point, law enforcement deployed tear gas, clearing the crowd. Once the wind carried the choking fumes out of the area, more and more people began to show up. Heavily outnumbered and overwhelmed, law enforcement did everything they could to protect themselves and prevent more violence.

As law enforcement scanned the crowd and sky for objects, they couldn't look everywhere.

"Nothing real violent was going on for about probably 15 minutes or so," deputy Scobie said. "And then, all of a sudden, I took a beer bottle to the face. When the bottle exploded, it caused my head to drop down; there was about three inches of my neck that was unprotected when I looked down. And, it was a lucky shot that got me right in that three inches."

Scobie said he doesn't remember anything after the brick hit his neck.

"It actually hit my carotid artery, which caused me to lose temporary consciousness," Scobie said. "I just remember waking up on the ground. The deputies were asking me where I was shot. They thought I was shot. I was just telling them I got hit with a brick and couldn't feel my arms and my legs. And, they rushed me to try and evacuate me out of there. With the amount of people and stuff that were around, it was hard to get me outta there, so there were two Tampa police officers that had a car they threw me in the back of the car and the Tampa police actually evacuated me to the hospital."

For more roughly seven hours, Scobie was checked out at the hospital.

"I got feeling back in legs pretty quick. My right arm took about two hours. My left arm, I suffered a pinched nerve, and it was swollen. So, I had no feeling in my left arm for almost 24 hours, and I had a pretty significant bruise on my neck," he said.

Scobie said he's wanted to be in law enforcement since he was 5 years old. After eight years in the military, he joined the sheriff's office. In 2018, Scobie was honored with the Tampa Police Chief's Appreciation Award after helping track a murder suspect.

On June 24, 2018, Scobie's neighbor, 42-year-old Pedro Aguerreberry, was riding bikes on a bike trail with his two children when a car veered over the grass and onto the bike trail, hitting and killing Aguerreberry and injuring his two sons, ages 3 and 8. Mikese Morse, the suspect driver, was arrested and charged in the incident.

Scobie heard the call and tracked down the car police say Morse was driving and eventually leading to an arrest.

Morse was found incompetent to stand trial.

Scobie said he loves his job and wants the public to know he is human, has a family, and only wants to serve and protect his community.

Two days after Scobie was hit by the brick, he was back at work patrolling the streets.

"When we show up on a call, just give us the benefit of the doubt. Know that it truly is our goal to help you in any way we can without getting into a fight, without being injured, without causing any injuries," Scobie said. "If I could deal with 20 people a day and every one of them says 'thank you,' it's a good day. And, that's truly what we come to work for."

This story was originally published by Michael Paluska at WFTS.

WASHINGTON— In the shadow of a fortified Capitol, a few hundred demonstrators have turned up in Washington to support those charged in January’s riot, but they were vastly outnumbered by the media and a heavy police presence.

U.S. Capitol Police were taking no chances, with hundreds of officers brought into Washington in an effort to avoid a repeat of the pre-inauguration attack.

The fence around the Capitol was put back up, the city police force was fully activated and Capitol Police requested assistance from the National Guard.

There were a few scuffles as the rally started around noon Saturday and one person was arrested for carrying a knife, but no major incidents were reported early on.

Twitter has permanently suspended President Donald Trump's account two days after five people died following violent protests at the U.S. Capitol Building.

"After a close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence," Twitter said.

When it comes to the White House and POTUS accounts, Twitter said in an email to EW Scripps Friday evening that they won't suspend those two accounts, but "will take action to limit their use."

"As we’ve said, using another account to try to evade a suspension is against our rules," Twitter said in a statement. "We have taken steps to enforce this with regard to recent Tweets from the @POTUS account. For government accounts, such as @POTUS and @WhiteHouse, we will not suspend those accounts permanently but will take action to limit their use."

On Friday, Twitter also suspended accounts they say are “solely dedicated to sharing QAnon content.”

The accounts included General Michael Flynn, Trump attorney Sidney Powell, and 8kun co-owner Ron Watkins.

QAnon is a group of loosely connected conspiracy theories associated with the far-right on the political spectrum. The president has retweeted some of these baseless conspiracies.

In a statement to NBC and Buzzfeed News, Twitter said “the account(s) has/have been suspended in line with our policy on Coordinated Harmful Activity. We’ve been clear that we will take strong enforcement action on behavior that has the potential to lead to offline harm, and given the renewed potential for violence surrounding this type of behavior in the coming days, we will permanently suspend accounts that are solely dedicated to sharing QAnon content.”

Flynn is Trump’s former National Security Advisor who pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI. He was recently pardoned by President Trump. In a video posted to Twitter in July, Flynn took an oath to QAnon.

Powell was his attorney, as well as working with Trump and the Trump campaign. Both Flynn and Powell are active within the QAnon online community.

Watkins is the administrator of the website 8Kun, formerly known as 8chan, according to Buzzfeed News.

Last summer, Twitter removed thousands of accounts associated with QAnon and blocked trends on the social media site relating to the conspiracies.

According to The Verge and Axios, Reddit banned the Donald Trump subreddit on Friday "for encouraging and glorifying violence" after a violent riot erupted at the US Capitol on Wednesday.

President Trump issued a statement from the now-suspended Team Trump account, stating that in the wake of being banned from Twitter, he will be "building out" his own social media platform.

Video above: State Capitols step up security amid threats

U.S. defense officials say they are worried about an insider attack or other threat from service members involved in securing President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, prompting the FBI to vet all of the 25,000 National Guard troops coming into Washington for the event.

The massive undertaking reflects the extraordinary security concerns that have gripped Washington following the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol by pro-Trump rioters. And it underscores fears that some of the very people assigned to protect the city over the next several days could present a threat to the incoming president and other VIPs in attendance.

Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy told The Associated Press on Sunday that officials are conscious of the potential threat, and he warned commanders to be on the lookout for any problems within their ranks as the inauguration approaches. So far, however, he and other leaders say they have seen no evidence of any threats, and officials said the vetting hadn't flagged any issues that they were aware of.

”We’re continually going through the process, and taking second, third looks at every one of the individuals assigned to this operation,” McCarthy said in an interview after he and other military leaders went through an exhaustive, three-hour security drill in preparation for Wednesday’s inauguration. He said Guard members are also getting training on how to identify potential insider threats.

About 25,000 members of the National Guard are streaming into Washington from across the country — at least two and a half times the number for previous inaugurals. And while the military routinely reviews service members for extremist connections, the FBI screening is in addition to any previous monitoring.

Multiple officials said the process began as the first Guard troops began deploying to D.C. more than a week ago. And they said it is slated to be complete by Wednesday. Several officials discussed military planning on condition of anonymity.

“The question is, is that all of them? Are there others?” said McCarthy. “We need to be conscious of it and we need to put all of the mechanisms in place to thoroughly vet these men and women who would support any operations like this.”

In a situation like this one, FBI vetting would involve running peoples’ names through databases and watchlists maintained by the bureau to see if anything alarming comes up. That could include involvement in prior investigations or terrorism-related concerns, said David Gomez, a former FBI national security supervisor in Seattle.

Insider threats have been a persistent law enforcement priority in the years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. But in most cases, the threats are from homegrown insurgents radicalized by al-Qaida, the Islamic State group or similar groups. In contrast, the threats against Biden’s inauguration have been fueled by supporters of President Donald Trump, far-right militants, white supremacists and other radical groups. Many believe Trump’s baseless accusations that the election was stolen from him, a claim that has been refuted by many courts, the Justice Department and Republican officials in key battleground states.

The insurrection at the Capitol began after Trump made incendiary remarks at the Jan. 6 rally. According to McCarthy, service members from across the military were at that rally, but it’s not clear how many were there or who may have participated in the breach at the Capitol. So far only a couple of current active-duty or National Guard members have been arrested in connection with the Capitol assault, which left five people dead. The dead included a Capitol Police officer and a woman shot by police as she climbed through a window in a door near the House chamber.

Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, has been meeting with Guard troops as they arrive in D.C. and as they gather downtown. He said he believes there are good processes in place to identify any potential threats.

“If there’s any indication that any of our soldiers or airmen are expressing things that are extremist views, it’s either handed over to law enforcement or dealt with the chain of command immediately,” he said.

The insider threat, however, was just one of the security concerns voiced by officials on Sunday, as dozens of military, National Guard, law enforcement and Washington, D.C., officials and commanders went through a security rehearsal in northern Virginia. As many as three dozen leaders lined tables that ringed a massive color-coded map of D.C. reflected onto the floor. Behind them were dozens more National Guard officers and staff, with their eyes trained on additional maps and charts displayed on the wall.

The Secret Service is in charge of event security, but there is a wide variety of military and law enforcement personnel involved, ranging from the National Guard and the FBI to Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department, U.S. Capitol Police and U.S. Park Police.

Commanders went over every aspect of the city’s complicated security lockdown, with McCarthy and others peppering them with questions about how the troops will respond in any scenario and how well they can communicate with the other enforcement agencies scattered around the city.

Hokanson said he believes his troops have been adequately equipped and prepared, and that they are rehearsing as much as they can to be prepared for any contingency.

The major security concern is an attack by armed groups of individuals, as well as planted explosives and other devices. McCarthy said intelligence reports suggest that groups are organizing armed rallies leading up to Inauguration Day, and possibly after that.

The bulk of the Guard members will be armed. And McCarthy said units are going through repeated drills to practice when and how to use force and how to work quickly with law enforcement partners. Law enforcement officers would make any arrests.

He said Guard units are going through “constant mental repetitions of looking at the map and talking through scenarios with leaders so they understand their task and purpose, they know their routes, they know where they’re friendly, adjacent units are, they have the appropriate frequencies to communicate with their law enforcement partners.”

The key goal, he said, is for America’s transfer of power to happen without incident.

“This is a national priority. We have to be successful as an institution,” said McCarthy. “We want to send the message to everyone in the United States and for the rest of the world that we can do this safely and peacefully.”

___

Associated Press writer Eric Tucker contributed to this report.

Peter Heneen, a deputy from the Polk County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office, was arrested on Tuesday after Heneen allegedly sent threatening messages about the Capitol riot to a colleague.

Sheriff Grady Judd said Heneen sent a colleague messages during the riot, and that member of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office reported the messages to superiors.

“That night, he [Peter Heneen] entered into communication with another deputy, a friend of his,” Judd said. “He started saying some absolutely frightening things. That deputy was worried about his mental state and the very next day he reported to work he told his lieutenant.”

Judd said that one the messages said, “'You need to shoot the blank back. F the feds. Shoot the fed.' The next statement was 'Need to make the streets of DC run red with blood of the tyrants.'"

Heneen faces second-degree felony charges of written threats. Heneen is also facing termination.

"I am angry beyond words,” Judd said. “I am proud of my witness who is my deputy as I could ever be because he stood up and said that's not the way this system work."

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — About 250 Indiana National Guard soldiers are expected to remain in Washington for about two more months after being sent there to help with security for President Joe Biden’s inauguration, officials said Tuesday.

Gov. Eric Holcomb authorized Indiana soldiers going to Washington on Jan. 13 as more than 25,000 troops from across the country were dispatched there following the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

More than 400 of the Indiana soldiers arrived back Monday night at the Guard’s Camp Atterbury after assisting with crowd and traffic control at the National Mall and near the White House, the Indiana Guard said. The soldiers remaining in Washington are scheduled to stay there until the end of March.

The Indiana soldiers were dispatched as Holcomb ordered the Statehouse complex closed to the public for several days and legislative leaders canceled a week of meetings over police concerns about possible armed protests. No protests occurred surrounding Biden’s inauguration in Indianapolis.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has voted to award Medals of Honor to the Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department for protecting Congress during the Jan. 6 insurrection.

The legislation was sent to President Joe Biden for his signature.

The bill passed by voice vote with no objections.

The four medals will be displayed at Capitol Police headquarters, the Metropolitan Police Department, the U.S. Capitol and the Smithsonian Institution.

Hundreds of officers from the two police departments responded to the attack as the mob of former President Donald Trump’s supporters broke into the building and interrupted the certification of Biden's victory.