(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) The District of Columbia (DOC) Department of Corrections has refused a demand from the House Judiciary Committee for bodycam footage, security video and medical records related to the abuse of power that happened in September 2022 after a jail guard used pepper spray to attack detainee Ronald Colton McAbee who participated in the peaceful protest at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Blaze Media reported that the refusal letter from the DOC deputy general counsel is the latest information regarding the war waged in 2023 by Rep. Troy Nehls, R–Texas, to obtain and make public a video showing the attack.
The letter indicated that the Judiciary Committee headed by Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, would issue a subpoena to compel the release of the materials, according to the news source.
In a July 15, 2024, response to Jordan, Nehls and Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., the DOC deputy counsel, Andrew Mazzuchelli, stated that, due to privacy issues and security of the jail, the surveillance video and bodycam footage that the Judiciary Committee demanded would be denied.
“The footage requested depicts schematic layouts, points of entry and exit, and arguably the most safety-sensitive aspect of all, the locations of security cameras in that unit. The primary mission of the DOC is to ensure the safety and security of residents, staff, and the facility as a whole. Releasing the requested footage presents significant risks that could compromise this mission,” he wrote.
Sarah McAbee, wife of Colton MacAbee, responded to the recent news by saying that the DOC letter offered only “flimsy excuses” not to release the evidence of abuse.
“I am deeply disappointed by the D.C. Department of Corrections’ continued stonewalling of congressional members, offering flimsy excuses for not releasing critical evidence. If there were nothing to hide, this information would have been made public long ago,” she said.
