A U.S. Capitol Police officer that was injured during the Jan. 6 insurrection claimed he was not leaving the law enforcement agency by choice but because of supporters of former President Donald Trump.
Sgt. Aquilino Gonell blamed lingering trauma from the Capitol Hill riot and the “mob” of Trump supporters for the end of his 16-year career during a segment of CNN’s The Lead on Thursday.
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“Almost half of my life I had dedicated to be a public servant both in the military and also as a police officer,” said Gonell, who announced his resignation from the force on Monday. “I’m not leaving because of my own accord but because they did that to me, the mob, and the people who support the former president.”
Gonell was engaged in some of the most intense fighting during the riot on Jan. 6, 2021, when Trump supporters descended on the Capitol to block the certification of the results of the 2020 presidential election illegally. Gonell was caught in a tunnel on the Capitol’s West Front and suffered injuries to his foot and shoulder. He spent months undergoing multiple surgeries and extensive rehabilitation before returning to the department.
“Although my goal has been to return to full and unrestricted duty, my medical conditions are permanent,” Gonell said in the resignation letter he tweeted Monday. “Having to return to the scene of the crime almost every day has become taxing, unbearable and not conducive to healing. After speaking with my orthopedic doctor, my mental health providers, and my family, I think it’s in my best interest to take time off away from the daily reminders that keep re-triggering my trauma.”
The growth, Sacrifices… pic.twitter.com/LsFq9gpZM6
— Staff Sergeant Gonell, Aquilino (@SergeantAqGo) December 12, 2022
Gonell added that he felt blessed to work alongside “so many incredible men and women” in the Capitol Police and will continue to support his fellow officers and the country.
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Since the insurrection, Gonell has been a vocal critic of the former president, his supporters, and prominent Republicans who have defended him. He was also one of the four officers who testified about the riot in front of the House Jan. 6 select committee last year.
Gonell’s final day on the force is Saturday.
