A Capitol Police officer is being praised as a hero for distracting a group of rioters away from lawmakers last week after they stormed the Capitol building.
The officer, identified by CNN as Eugene Goodman, is seen at one point in the video looking down an unsecured hallway that led to where senators were located. After pushing one of the rioters in an apparent attempt to refocus the rioter’s attention on himself, he then proceeded to lead the rioters away from the senators.
WATCH:
Eugene Goodman is a hero. pic.twitter.com/RpkeIDatcC
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) January 11, 2021
“Goodman served in the US Army, including a deployment overseas in Iraq, he wrote on his Facebook page,” Heavy reported. “Goodman has been a police officer with US Capitol Police since at least 2011, according to online records which list state disbursements for USCP. His LinkedIn profile says he works for Capitol Police and lives in the Washington-DC metro area.”
CNN reporter Kristin Wilson identified Goodman, writing on Twitter: “His name is USCP Officer Eugene Goodman. Remember his name. He almost certainly saved lives on Wednesday. My thanks, Officer Goodman. THANK YOU.”
His name is USCP Officer Eugene Goodman. Remember his name. He almost certainly saved lives on Wednesday.
My thanks, Officer Goodman. THANK YOU. https://t.co/DwvUqCkW8M
— Kristin Wilson (@kristin__wilson) January 10, 2021
Goodman was widely praised online with many activists calling for him to receive various awards for his actions.
“The word hero does not appropriately describe officer Eugene Goodman,” former Democrat Senate candidate Jamie Harrison wrote on Twitter. “His judgment & heroism may have saved our Republic. I hope @SpeakerPelosi @SenSchumer @WhipClyburn consider him for the Congressional Medal of Honor. It is the least we can do.”
The word hero does not appropriately describe officer Eugene Goodman. His judgment & heroism may have saved our Republic. I hope @SpeakerPelosi @SenSchumer @WhipClyburn consider him for the Congressional Medal of Honor. It is the least we can do. https://t.co/22qvikwCqh
— Jaime Harrison (@harrisonjaime) January 10, 2021
The events broke out Wednesday after President Donald Trump held a rally while Congress was certifying the results of the presidential election. After the rally, some of those who attended the massive event splintered off and stormed the Capitol. Judging by photos online, the group that rioted at Capitol numbered in the thousands and quickly overwhelmed the security that was there.
The fallout from the events and Trump’s response to them led to several severe actions, among which included Trump being suspended or banned by nearly all social media platforms and Democrats introducing a single article of impeachment against him.
The article of impeachment stated that Trump “willfully made statements that encouraged — and foreseeably resulted in — imminent lawless action at the Capitol. Incited by President Trump, a mob unlawfully breached the Capitol, injured law enforcement personnel, interfered with the Joint Session’s solemn constitutional duty to certify the election results, and engaged in violent, deadly, destructive, and seditious acts.”
“In all of this, President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of government,” the document stated. “He threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coordinate branch of government. He thereby betrayed his trust as President, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.”