Lawmakers Introduce Bill Honoring Hero Officer Who Diverted Rioters From Senate

Updated September 5, 2021

As soon as the confusion from the riot that took place at the U.S. Capitol on January 6 settled, both the American public and its authorities have been busy drilling down on the responsibility various actors share for what happened that day.

As you might expect, a large part of this involves identifying and prosecuting those who participated in the riot that left five dead and endangered those in both chambers of Congress. But actions have also been taken against the platform the riot was allegedly planned with, as well as those believed to have incited it.

But while inquiries into how the riot managed to get as bad as it did remain underway, there is also an effort within the House of Representatives to recognize one man who ensured that it didn't get any worse.

Although both the House and the Senate were evacuated as rioters stormed the Capitol, there was a period before this occured in which some were able to approach the Senate chamber.

Twitter | @igorbobic

And as NBC News confirmed, all that stood between the senators hiding inside and the mob clad in Trump paraphernalia that clamored to get their hands on them was Capitol police officer Eugene Goodman.

And for Goodman's next actions during those tense moments, he has received bipartisan praise, both for his selflessness and for his cunning.

Twitter | @igorbobic

According to CBS News, a video captured by HuffPost reporter Igor Bobic saw him initially attempt to hold them back and then make physical contact with one of them to provoke the mob into chasing him.

As we can see here, this gambit paid off and Goodman was able to divert the rioters away from the Senate chamber by doing this.

In recognition of his actions, Democratic Representatives Charlie Crist of Florida and Emanuel Cleaver II of Missouri, as well as Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, have introduced a bill recommending Goodman for the Congressional Gold Medal.

After referring to Goodman as a hero, Crist said, "I shudder to think what might have happened had it not been for Officer Goodman's fast thinking and commitment to his duty and his country.

"While some will remember last Wednesday for the very worst in our country, the patriotism and heroics of Officer Eugene Goodman renew my faith and remind us all what truly makes the United States great."

Goodman has also been recognized by the U.S. Army's XVIII Airborne Corps, with whom he served in Iraq.

The bill proposing Goodman's candidacy for the Congressional Gold Medal also comes after a Change.org petition, with close to 46,000 signatures by the time of this writing, called for him to receive the presidential Medal of Freedom.

Should Goodman be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, he will be in the company of George Washington, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, Nelson Mandela, and Rosa Parks.

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As confirmed by the House of Representatives, the medal would also be commissioned in his image as we can see in the case of past recipient Charles Lindbergh.

Indeed, such an honor would reflect the feelings of many Americans that the nation owes Goodman a debt of gratitude.

h/t: NBC News, CBS News

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