Black Capitol cop risked his life as he led MAGA rioters away from open Senate chamber door

It has emerged that a Black cop risked his own life as he led the mob away from an open door to the Senate chamber while inviting the wrath of the MAGA rioters upon himself. As the Trump-incited mob breached the Capitol Hill building, they were on the lookout for lawmakers to put a stop to them certifying the results of the Presidential elections. While the lawmakers were being evacuated, the mob had reached the Capitol building and quick thinking from a Capitol Police officer named Eugene Goodman appears to have averted a disaster, reported New York Post. It came to light later that the MAGA rioters had come armed with two pipe bombs and a few of them were arrested after federal agencies found an assault rifle, multiple firearms, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Rioters were on the lookout for Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with many even chanting "hang Mike Pence."

Eugene Goodman knew what was at stake as he blocked the crowd. A horrifying clip shows Eugene Goodman running up a few flights of stairs as he tries to fight off an army of angry MAGA rioters all by himself. Goodman was risking his own life here, especially when you consider the fact that a member of the mob had earlier killed a police officer by hitting him on the head with a fire extinguisher.  As he reached the second floor, he looked sideways to notice the Senate chamber door was open. Goodman, a Black police officer, kept the crowd at bay but they kept pushing him backward. He was literally standing between the door to the Senate and the angry mob as they pushed him. Inside the chamber, a half-dozen armed officers were evacuating members of Congress.

Eugene Goodman knew the crowd was getting more violent and baying for blood. He couldn't hold them any longer so he made a split-second decision that potentially saved the lives of members of Congress in the building. He pushed the man at the front of the mob to instigate him and lured the mob away from the door, ignoring the open door to the Senate. The ruse worked. It gave armed security the extra seconds they desperately needed to lock the door and secure the Senate chamber from the angry mob. He also led them away to a location where back up had arrived. 

HuffPost congressional reporter Igor Bobic posted a screenshot of the moment on Twitter and wrote, "There’s a moment when the lead rioter looks right for a second, before continuing to follow the officer left, away from the immediate entrance to the Senate." 

The image of a Black man holding the fort against White supremacists to defend the heart of American democracy was a poignant moment. Goodman was hailed as a hero and a patriot. "If the color of these two men were reversed I can’t help but think what might have happened. I praise Goodman for not only saving lives but patience, fairness, thinking under enormous pressure, fear, and extreme restraint he showed calling for backup and not pulling the trigger," wrote Twitter user Joline Rivera. Another user commented, "I realized there had to be something strategic about this officer's move. It seemed at first like he was running away from the rioters, but was actually leading them to where he wanted. Great work."

"I don't think there was any type of training that would prepare you for that situation," said a veteran of the New York City Police Department Kirk Burkhalter, reported BBC. The twenty-year veteran said the video was particularly disturbing. "Police officer, not a police officer, to see a black man being chased by someone carrying a Confederate flag - there is something wrong with that picture. That should never happen again," said Burkhalter.