‘I’m very fortunate’: Hero officer in Capitol riot also saved Sen. Mitt Romney from the mob
Romney #Romney
Eugene Goodman, the Capitol Police officer who drew rioters away from the Senate chamber during the Jan. 6 attack, also redirected Sen. Mitt Romney away from the mob minutes earlier, newly released security video played at Donald Trump’s impeachment trial showed.
“I was very fortunate indeed that Officer Goodman was there to get me in the right direction,” the Republican senator from Utah told reporters on Wednesday after the video demonstrated how close he came to the pro-Trump mob that stormed the Capitol.
Del. Stacey Plaskett, D-Virgin Islands, one of the House managers prosecuting Trump at his Senate trial, showed the new security camera footage, which had no sound. It featured Goodman rushing to confront the mob — but first scrambling to guide Romney to safety.
Goodman had already been hailed as a hero for his actions during the riot after video emerged of him baiting rioters away from the Senate chamber after they breached the Capitol.
Introducing the new footage, Plaskett, who is a non-voting delegate to Congress, said there was “more to his heroic story.”
“In this security footage, you can see Officer Goodman running to respond to the initial breach,” she said.
The footage shows Goodman rushing through the Ohio Clock Corridor outside the Senate chamber toward Romney, waving him to turn around and take a different path. Romney then turn and hurried back toward the Senate chamber.
Romney was in the chamber on Wednesday as Plaskett played the video, and watched intently.
He told reporters afterwards that he hadn’t been aware of the identity of his guardian angel.
“I did not know that was Officer Goodman. I look forward to thanking him when I next see him,” Romney said.
Asked if he’d realized how close he came to the mob, he said, “No, I did not.”
The 2012 Republican presidential nominee said the managers’ presentation was upsetting.
“It was obviously very troubling to see the great violence that our Capitol Police and others were subjected to. It tears at your heart and brings tears to your eyes. That was overwhelmingly distressing and emotional,” Romney said.
After the video was played, Romney’s son Matt tweeted thanking Goodman for his “bravery and service.”
A group of bipartisan House members introduced legislation to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Goodman after an earlier video of his heroism went viral on social media.
Goodman, an Army veteran who served in Iraq before joining the Capitol police, escorted Vice President Kamala Harris at the inauguration.
Five people were killed in the riots, including another police officer.