Yogananda Pittman, who previously served as an assistant chief, will be the first woman and first Black person to head the Capitol Police, according to Morgan State University, the historically black school that Pittman graduated from in 1999. CNN reached out to Capitol police and has not been able to independently confirm this.
Pittman will be replacing former chief Steven Sund, who resigned last week after he was criticized for being ill-prepared to respond to the deadly mob on Capitol Hill.
"Chief Pittman is a very progressive Chief," Sund told CNN on Monday. "She's very concerned as well about the welfare of the officers."
The police response spotlighted what many Black activists and civil rights leaders say is a double standard where police used more aggressive tactics -- such as tear gas and rubber bullets -- on Black Lives Matter protesters last summer but were more lenient with the pro-Trump white rioters.
Images of police letting rioters through the Capitol gates, escorting them down the Capitol building steps and taking selfies with them, have sparked outrage among Black people. At least five people, including a Capitol police officer, were killed in the mob.
Former Chief of the US Capitol Police Terrance Gainer called the Capitol riot a failure of Capitol police.
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