Politics & Government
Police Officer Who Protected Lawmakers Escorts Kamala Harris
The police officer who led rioters away from hiding lawmakers during the siege of the U.S. Capitol escorts Harris to the inauguration.
WASHINGTON, DC — Eugene Goodman, the U.S. Capitol Police officer who led rioters away from lawmakers during the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol Building, had a special duty on Wednesday.
Named the acting deputy sergeant of arms of the Capitol Police, Goodman attended the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. He also escorted Vice President-elect Kamala Harris into the Capitol before the ceremony.
Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States and Harris was sworn in as the vice president.
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On Jan. 6, Goodman, a Black man facing an overwhelming white mob, stood in front of rioters, in a video shot by Igor Bobic of HuffPost. Walking backward, he retrieved a collapsible baton from the floor and yelled at the mob to “Back up ... back it up!” He then ran upstairs, waving the baton, as the group followed him. He then led them away from the U.S. Senate chamber to another room where other officers were waiting.
The video was shot at 2:14 p.m., and the Senate stopped its proceedings and began evacuating the chambers at 2:15 p.m.
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The Associated Press contributed to the reporting of this story.
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