He is the “hero of the Capitol”, a very discreet hero, of those whose fate is the kind to inspire the filmmaker Clint Eastwood. Eugene Goodman made history on January 6: Hours after Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol, a sequence shot filmed by Igor Bobic, journalist at the Huffington Post, showed the actions of this Capitol police officer.
Alone, he slows down the attackers, distracts them from a room where the senators are entrenched, while transmitting to his colleagues information on his position and destination. The video ends when he manages to lead the rioters to another area where other agents are waiting for him. Another sequence, obtained by the investigation site ProPublica, showed the confrontation seen from the side of the rioters.
Here’s the scary moment when protesters initially got into the building from the first floor and made their way out… https://t.co/Q7MfKCbFE3
But the public recognition of Eugene Goodman’s actions did not end there. The release of a new video on Wednesday, February 10, on the second day of Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial, shed new light on his decisive intervention. On a silent surveillance camera recording, he is seen storming past Mitt Romney, one of the few Republican senators to stand up to the former president, beckoning him to turn back as protesters, who could have taken him to task for having opposed their champion, approach.
A closer shot of Officer Eugene Goodman directing Sen. Mitt Romney to safety on Jan. 6: https://t.co/Xen8wlh0zb
After seeing these images, Mitt Romney said he had “Was very lucky that Agent Goodman [ait été] here for [le] put in the right direction ”. The family of the former presidential candidate in 2012 was not mistaken and also thanked him on Twitter for saving the life of the senator.
We appreciate your bravery and service, Officer Eugene Goodman !! https://t.co/iJ21G5rDU5
Eugene Goodman’s first feat of arms earned him the privilege of escorting Vice President Kamala Harris to Capitol Hill on January 20, where President Joe Biden’s inauguration ceremony was taking place. He was subsequently promoted to the title of Sergeant-at-Arms of the United States Senate.
Part of mystery
Several elected officials, Democrats and Republicans, now want to go further and award him the Congressional Gold Medal for his actions, the highest civilian honor that can be awarded by the Congress of the United States, usually to those who make a action for the security or national interest of the United States. In the meantime, he has been presented with the Distinguished Public Service Award, the highest honor awarded by the Secretary of Defense to a private citizen.
Although now known across the country, Eugene Goodman retains an element of mystery. Of him, it is known that he was born in Southeast Washington in 1980. Two of his former teachers told a Washington television station that they recognized him and described him as a calm, helpful and helpful student. well behaved, available to defuse conflict.
After high school, he served in 101e Airborne division, between 2002 and 2006, reached the rank of sergeant and fought in Iraq, in 2005. Asked by the New York Times, one of his comrades in arms remembers him as the head of the “Hardrock Company”, a section of ten men which increased the combat patrols in search of improvised explosive devices in the area of the Sunni triangle, near Baghdad .
Fear of unwanted fame
Another combat comrade, Lt. Col. Jeff Farmer, remembers seeing him lead “Number of foot patrols as peak man”, the most exposed position, adding that he would be ready, after having already done so in Iraq, to entrust his life to her again. A spokeswoman for her former unit also said that “Goody” had won a decoration in Iraq for actively participating in the fighting.
Since the events of January 6, Eugene Goodman has not spoken and asked his neighbors not to speak to the media. Friends and colleagues have indeed explained to the Washington post that he feared this unwanted celebrity would make him a potential target for far-right groups.
Its action allows in any case to restore, at least in part, the image of the Capitol police, responsible for the security of elected officials. After the assault, several of its members were indeed suspended and a dozen of them are currently under investigation after the publication of images showing them opening doors to extremists or posing. for selfies with them.
