The US Capitol police chief Steven Sund handed in his resignation Thursday, a day after Congress was invaded by a mob egged on by President Donald Trump, a source close to the agency told AFP.

Sund “is resigning effective January 16, 2021,” the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP, hours after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for his resignation, following sharp rebukes for what many criticised as a lack of preparation and preparedness to deal with Wednesday’s violent mob on Capitol Hill.

On Thursday, Capitol Police leadership provided first details about the deadly incident that left lawmakers and staff fearful for their lives.

In a statement released earlier in the day, Sund detailed the violent actions of the rioters saying that Capitol Police and other law enforcement officers were “actively attacked” with metal pipes and other weapons, CNN reported.

“The violent attack on the U.S. Capitol was unlike any I have ever experienced in my 30 years in law enforcement here in Washington, DC,” Sund said. “Maintaining public safety in an open environment — specifically for First Amendment activities — has long been a challenge.”

Lawmakers have been baffled by the lack of preparedness among law enforcement given that it had been known for weeks that President Donald Trump was promoting a rally he said was aimed at preventing the certification of Joe Biden’s win.