The U.S. Capitol Police officer who potentially saved the lives of legislators with his quick thinking during the Capitol riot earlier this month escorted Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to the inauguration.
Following officer Eugene Goodman’s actions as the mob descended upon the Capitol, he was promoted to acting deputy Senate sergeant-at-arms, and in that capacity, is a part of the official escorts staying with Harris on her way to the platform outside the Capitol where she will be sworn-in, according to multiple reports. He was greeted with cheers as he entered the inauguration area, walking ahead of Harris and her husband, Douglas Emhoff.
Goodman, as the mob breached the Capitol while Congress sought to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s electoral victory, led a group of rioters away from the unguarded and not yet locked doors of the Senate chamber. In doing so, he provided lawmakers with additional time to get to a secure location. No lawmaker was hurt during the insurrection, but five people lost their lives, and more than a hundred people have been arrested.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers are looking to recognize Goodman with a Congressional Gold Medal for his actions during the riot.
“By putting his own life on the line and successfully, single-handedly leading insurrectionists away from the floor of the Senate Chamber, Officer Eugene Goodman performed his duty to protect Congress with distinction, and by his actions, Officer Goodman left an indelible mark on American history,” the legislation reads.
