WASHINGTON • Yogananda Pittman, the Capitol Police official who led intelligence operations for the agency when thousands of Donald Trump loyalists descended on the building last January, is back in charge of intelligence as officials prepare for what’s expected to be a massive rally at the Capitol to support those who took part in the insurrection.

Pittman — elevated to acting chief after then-Chief Steven Sund was forced to resign in the aftermath of the deadly insurrection — was passed over last month for the role of permanent chief.

The Capitol Police Board, which oversees the force, instead picked J. Thomas Manger, the former chief of the police departments in Fairfax County, Va., and Montgomery County, Md.

Pittman’s tenure as assistant chief was marred by a vote of no-confidence from rank-and-file officers on the force and questions about intelligence and leadership failures — specifically, why the agency wasn’t prepared to fend off a mob of rioters, even though officials had compiled intelligence showing white supremacists and other extremists were likely to assemble in Washington on Jan. 6 and that violent disruptions were possible.

“Supporters of the current president see Jan. 6, 2021, as the last opportunity to overturn the results of the presidential election,” said a Jan. 3 Capitol Police intelligence assessment. “This sense of desperation and disappointment may lead to more of an incentive to become violent.”

Unlike past events, when pro-Trump supporters clashed violently with counter-demonstrations, “Congress itself is the target on the 6th,” the assessment added.

The deadly riot at the Capitol quickly overwhelmed the police force and has resulted in hundreds of federal criminal prosecutions and internal reviews about why law enforcement agencies weren’t better prepared.

Now, months later, Pittman has been put back in charge as assistant chief of the agency’s intelligence operations and will be supervising officers who protect top congressional leaders.

Police officials in Washington are increasingly concerned about a rally planned for Sept. 18 on federal land next to the Capitol that organizers have said is meant to demand “justice” for the hundreds of people already charged in connection with January’s insurrection.

Organizers of the event, known as “Justice for J6,” have said it will be peaceful but law enforcement officials fear such a gathering with thousands of people could devolve quickly into violence.

Acting chief of the U.S. Capitol Police Yogananda Pittman listens during a April news conference after a car crashed into a barrier on Capitol Hill near the Senate side of the U.S. Capitol in Washington. Pittman is the Capitol Police official who led intelligence operations when thousands of pro-Trump rioters descended Jan. 6. Pittman has been put back in charge as assistant chief of the agency’s intelligence operations and supervising officers who protect top congressional leaders.

the associated press