Yogananda Pittman appointed as acting US Capitol Police Chief

Yogananda Pittman

After the resignation of former US Capitol Chief, Steven Sund, Yogananda Pittman has been named as the acting police chief. Steven resigned last week after the agency came under heavy scrutiny due to its inadequate and ill-prepared response to the pro-Trump rioters that staged an insurrection at the Capitol last week.  At least five people including a Capitol police officer was killed in the mob.

Pittman will be the first woman and first Black person to head the agency according to Morgan State University, from where she graduated in 1999. CNN however has been unable to independently verify the news with the US Capitol, reported the website.

Speaking to CNN, former Chief Sund said that Chief Pittman is a very progressive Chief who is concerned about the welfare of the officers as well.

Pittman has had a very impressive track record from her early days when she joined the department in 2001 and soon became one of the first Black female supervisors to achieve the rank of Captain. As captain, she managed more than 400 officers and civilians and led the security footprint for the 2013 presidential inauguration.

Now as Capitol Police Chief, Pittman will be among the few Black women police chiefs in the nation.