Police Officer Who Faced MAGA Mob Escorted Kamala Harris At Inauguration
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A police officer who fended off rioters during the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill insurrection found himself in a much different position this week, escorting incoming Vice President Kamala Harris to the inauguration ceremony.
Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman on Wednesday met Harris and President Joe Biden upon their arrival at the East Front of the Capitol. Moments into the ceremony, he was introduced before Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff entered the inauguration stage on the West Front.
Goodman, a 101st Airborne veteran who was deployed twice in Iraq, escorted Harris as part of his new role as acting deputy Senate sergeant-at-arms.
Social media responded to the moment with great enthusiasm.
And there is Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman, escorting VP-elect @KamalaHarris pic.twitter.com/AHOf3bKCve
— Phil Mattingly (@Phil_Mattingly) January 20, 2021
And there's Eugene Goodman, a military veteran and hero of the Jan. 6 riots, escorting the president-elect and vice president-elect and their partners from the motorcade to the steps of the U.S. Capitol. Goodman is in the tan coat. #Inauguration pic.twitter.com/An8071vVQP
— Liam Martin (@LiamWBZ) January 20, 2021
Here is Eugene Goodman. On the left escorting Kamala Harris up the stairs of the Capitol. On the right, defending it from an insurrectionist mob pic.twitter.com/hVPTkjW4ek
— Josie Ensor (@Josiensor) January 20, 2021
Goodman rose to national prominence after a Jan. 6 video shot by HuffPost reporter Igor Bobic showed him leading a violent mob away from the Senate chamber.
In doing so, the officer gave lawmakers time to evacuate to a secure location, potentially saving lives.
Here’s the scary moment when protesters initially got into the building from the first floor and made their way outside Senate chamber. pic.twitter.com/CfVIBsgywK
— Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) January 6, 2021
Thus far, Goodman has not spoken publicly about the events of Jan. 6. Still, his actions have earned him widespread praise.
Capitol Officer Eugene Goodman’s bravery and quick-thinking prevented insurrectionists from entering a Senate full of Members, staff, reporters and election certificates, preventing a nightmare scenario. Introducing legislation to award him the Congressional Gold Medal. pic.twitter.com/TviBsXhqqw
— Congressman Charlie Crist (@RepCharlieCrist) January 14, 2021
He’s now being considered for a Congressional Gold Medal, which is the highest civilian award Congress can bestow. Previous recipients include Rosa Parks and Nelson Mandela.
CLARIFICATION: This post has been updated to include details about Goodman’s military background.
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.