Days after the deadly Capitol Hill insurrection, more footage has been leaked. In one of the disturbing clips, Trump rioters are seen beating an officer laying facedown on the ground.
According to a post shared on Twitter, insurrectionists at the side entrance of the U.S. Capitol dragged the cop down the steps and used American flags to assault him. No further details about the officer were revealed, but it is believed he was a DC Metro cop.
A large number of law enforcement officers were present during the turmoil at the government building on Wednesday (Jan. 6), but their experiences differed from each other.
While some cops were captured taking selfies with the rioters, others were attacked. Officer Brian Sicknick, for example, sustained injuries after interacting with Trump supporters at the siege and died as a result of his wounds.
Additonally, Black officers at the Capitol faced verbal abuse by the rioters and received no help from their superiors. “Our chief was nowhere to be found, I didn’t hear him on the radio,” one Black cop said of their experience during the riots. “One of our other deputy chiefs was not there. You don’t think it’s all hands on deck?”
On Saturday (Jan. 9), Officer Howard Liebengood — who responded to the riots — died by suicide in a death former Capitol Police Chief Terrance Gainer calls a “line of duty casualty.” Another Capitol cop was placed on leave for fatally shooting Ashli Babbit as she attempted to force her way into the House chambers.
As Officer Eugene Goodman — a Black man — received praises for his role in luring the Trump mob away from the Senate chamber, two cops were suspended from their jobs due to their alleged involvement with the Capitol attack. The FBI is currently conducting an investigation to determine whether any of the police deliberately allowed the rioters into the government building.