Capitol Police officer wears a mourning band over his badge following a police procession of the hearse carrying the casket of Brian Sicknick, U.S. Capitol Police Officer who died from injuries following the U.S. Capitol building siege on Wednesday, on January 10, 2021 in Washington, DC. A pro-Trump mob stormed and desecrated the U.S. Capitol on January 6 as Congress held a joint session to ratify President-elect Joe Biden's 306-232 Electoral College win over President Donald Trump.
A Capitol Police officer wears a mourning band over his badge for Brian Sicknick, the officer who died from injuries after the Capitol siege.
Al Drago/Getty Images
  • Capitol Police officer Eugene Goodman, who is Black, took on a crowd of pro-Trump rioters as they stormed the Capitol on Wednesday.
  • Video from the incident, taken by HuffPost reporter Igor Bobic, shows Goodman leading the protesters up stairs and away from an unsealed entrance to the Senate chamber. 
  • He was armed only with a baton at the time. 
  • Goodman has since been hailed a hero for his actions, and the rioter who was leading the chase after him has been criminally charged. 
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A US Capitol Police officer is being hailed a hero after he faced down an angry mob of supporters of President Donald Trump during last week’s riot at the Capitol building, and drew them away from the Senate chamber that had yet to be secured.

Capitol Police officer Eugene Goodman, identified by CNN reporter Kristin Wilson, was seen in video footage taken by HuffPost reporter Igor Bobic putting himself between the Senate chamber and an angry mob headed by a rioter wearing a QAnon T-shirt.

Goodman, who is Black, can be seen first interacting with the mob of white men as they pushed their way down a hallway.

Armed only with a baton and with no other officers nearby, Goodman led the men on a chase up a flight of stairs while calling “second floor” into his radio.

Once outside a hallway leading to the Senate chamber, Goodman shoved one of the men to get his attention before moving in the opposite direction. The rioter he shoved – the man in the QAnon shirt – lingered for a moment and looked down the Senate chamber hallway before ultimately following Goodman.

 

Eventually, Goodman was met by backup in another room of the building.

Goodman's efforts gave the Senate time to lock down against the threat of rioters, according to the Washington Post and Bobic.

Bobic said that he filmed the video at 2:14 p.m. The Washington Post reported that the Senate Chamber was secured at 2:15 p.m. A video of the Senate floor posted by Capitol Hill reporter Jamie Dupree showed the senate was still full at 2:21 p.m.

Goodman, who is also an Army veteran and a father, did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Neither did Capitol Police.

 

But footage of his actions quickly started trending on Twitter, and many praised Goodman for what he had done.

"As trump's fascist mob ransacked the US Capitol, this brave USCP officer kept murderous rioters away from the Senate chamber and saved the lives of those inside. God bless him for his courage," US Representative Bill Pascrell wrote in a Twitter message on Sunday.

Jaime Harrison, a former candidate for the US Senate from South Carolina, said Goodman should be honored by politicians.

"The word hero does not appropriately describe officer Eugene Goodman," he wrote in a tweet. "His judgment & heroism may have saved our Republic. I hope @SpeakerPelosi @SenSchumer @WhipClyburn consider him for the Congressional Medal of Honor. It is the least we can do."

In this Jan. 6, 2021, file photo, Trump supporters gesture to U.S. Capitol Police in the hallway outside of the Senate chamber at the Capitol in Washington. Doug Jensen, an Iowa man at center, was jailed early Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021 on federal charges, including trespassing and disorderly conduct counts, for his alleged role in the Capitol riot.
In this January 6 file photo, Trump supporters gesture to Capitol Police in the hallway outside of the Senate chamber. Doug Jensen, seen at center, was jailed early Saturday, January 9, on federal charges.
AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File

The man in the QAnon shirt who headed the mob chasing Goodman, meanwhile, has been identified as Doug Jensen of Iowa by the Des Moines Register.

He has been fired from his job and was arrested by the FBI on Friday and faces five federal charges.

He's one of about 90 rioters who have been charged in connection to the riot at the Capitol building, in which five people died, including a Capitol Police officer. A second Capitol Police officer died by suicide over the weekend.

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