Lawmakers have introduced a new bill that seeks to award police officer Euegene Goodman with a Congressional Gold Medal after he heroically stood up to rioters who stormed the Capitol Building last week.
On January 6, a mob of pro-Trump rioters stormed the Capitol building in an attempt to obstruct the counting of the electoral college votes and confirm that Joe Biden won the 2020 Presidential Election.
Protestors breached the building and disrupted Congress, forcing journalists and politicians (including Vice President Mike Pence) to evacuate as rioters clashed with police on-site. Five people, including one police officer, were left dead as a result of the incident.
Watch the moment Eugene Goodman earned his medal in the video below:In the aftermath of the riot, a video was uploaded to Twitter by HuffPost journalist Igor Bobic, showing 40-year-old Officer Goodman singlehandedly deterring the mob from entering the unlocked Senate Chambers.
A large number of social media users applauded the bravery shown by Goodman, an Iraq war veteran who served in the 101st Airborne and expressed the belief that he should be rewarded for his courage and fortitude.
Per NBC News, Florida Representative Charlie Crist stated:
"He’s a hero! The United States Capitol was under attack by armed, violent extremists, and Officer Eugene Goodman was the only thing standing between the mob and the United States Senate.
"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."
Meanwhile, the 101st posted an image of Goodman to its official Twitter account and captioned it: "Capitol police officer Eugene Goodman is rightfully being hailed as a hero after singlehandedly holding back rioters from entering the Senate chambers last week.
"An Iraq combat vet and member of this Corps, Eugene was a hero long before last Wednesday. We celebrate his valor."
A Change.org petition, which accrued over 23,000 signatures as of the time of writing, was later launched with the aim of awarding Goodman the Medal of Honor.
The petition reads:
"On Wednesday, January 6th, 2021, USPC Officer Eugene Goodman faced down a mob of angry rioters advancing in the US Capital building. Despite his warnings, rioters advanced on the outnumbered officer.
"He retreated to the 2nd floor landing and called in his position to fellow officers to alert them to the growing threat. Officer Goodman noted that there were no visible guards at the Senate chamber doors.
"At the moment that the lead rioter also saw the open door, Officer Goodman placed himself in the path to direct harm and made physical contact with the rioter, provoking a response. The rioter took the bait and lead his followers after Officer Goodman, away from the Senate doors."
It adds:
"Instead, the rioters pursued Officer Goodman down another hall and into a larger vestibule where Capital police backup was waiting to reinforce him. The incident was defused without injury and Senate leaders were able to safely evacuate.
"Officer Eugene Goodman recognized a critical moment where the lives of others were at stake. He courageously risked himself to divert rioters and exemplifies the courage and bravery that is the hallmark of Capital law enforcement. In a very difficult time, his character shone through."
Per The Independent, Crist, aided by Democrat Representative Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri and Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace of South Carolina, has now introduced legislation to award United States Capitol Police (USCP) officer Eugene Goodman a congressional gold medal.
However, in a profile for The Washington Post, Goodman remained humble about his role in the riot suppression, stating: "My job is to protect and serve, and on that day I was protecting."