DALLAS, Texas — A mob of supporters for President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol Building Wednesday in an unprecedented fashion as lawmakers began certifying Electoral College votes from November's presidential election.
All eyes were on Washington, D.C. as news outlets across America fixated on rioters vandalizing parts of the building and desecrating symbols of the country's democracy.
In North Texas, Alex Del Carmen watched closely and was disgusted because security measures to keep protesters outside grossly failed.
"It's absolutely absurd, and it's unacceptable," Del Carmen said. "At the end of the day, someone should be fired tomorrow."
It was the first time the U.S. Capitol had been breached since the War of 1812. In 1814, British troops entered the building to set it on fire. The structure was actually under construction at the time.
For decades, both U.S. Capitol Police and area agencies have handled large demonstrations and protected national buildings in the D.C. area.
This is why Del Carmen is perplexed about Wednesday's events.
He is a police consultant to the federal government and has trained agents for both the FBI and Homeland Security. He holds a doctorate degree in criminology and criminal justice.
He is also an associate dean and professor for the College of Liberal and Fine Art, specializing in Criminology, Criminal Justice, and Strategic Studies at Tarleton State University.
Del Carmen said ample resources are always available to Capitol Police and can't understand why they weren't deployed sooner or were in place earlier to establish a perimeter.
"There is a whole machinery in place that comes into play days before something like this," Del Carmen said. "We do advance research, social media sweeps, crowd assessment, and we get intel on the ground."
Yet, it was clear the Capitol Police were overwhelmed and unprepared.
Del Carmen wants to know why, and speculates that the entire situation will be reviewed or investigated in the coming days.
"How could they even gain access to Rep. Nancy Pelosi's office? How could they access the Senate? How could that happen in the United States of America that has the best law enforcement in the world?" Del Carmen said.
"Was it poor planning? Not having enough resources in place? Or did they not anticipate the level of aggression that was going to be in front of them? This is something that will be studied not only tomorrow but for years to come."
On Wednesday afternoon, the D.C. mayor and police chief told the public that they requested the National Guard's assistance ahead of any demonstrations this week.
That request was approved, but President Trump rebuffed efforts to deploy troops immediately per ABC News late Wednesday night.
Per ABC and other outlets, boots didn't hit the ground until other White House officials intervened.
To Del Carmen, the lack of control at the center of the nation's democracy is unsettling.
"It's scary," Del Carmen said. "If it can happen at the Capitol building, then it can happen anywhere."