20210107 us capitol
An explosion caused by a police munition is seen while supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump gather in front of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, U.S. Image Credit: Reuters

Washington: A US Capitol Police officer involved in Wednesday's deadly shooting in Congress has been placed on administrative leave and the officer's police powers have been suspended pending an investigation, Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund said in a statement on Thursday.

Sund also said Capitol Police were conducting "a thorough review" of the assault on the U.S. Capitol, including security planning, policies and procedures.

As Trump supporters stormed the halls of Congress, Sund said police responded to reports of two pipe bombs and a suspicious vehicle in the vicinity of the Capitol complex.

"Both devices were, in fact, hazardous and could cause great harm to public safety. The devices were disabled and turned over to the FBI for further investigation and analysis," Sund said.

The police chief added that the suspicious vehicle was cleared but police arrested the vehicles owner and 13 additional suspects for unlawful entry of the US Capitol.

"The USCP is continuing to review surveillance video and open source material to identify others who may be subject to criminal charges," Sund said in the statement.