“Kill Him With His Own Gun”: Police Officers Said in Testimony They Thought They Would Die in the Capitol Riot
U.S. Capitol Police officer Sgt. Aquilino Gonell becomes emotional as he testifies before the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol on July 27, 2021 at the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, DC. Members of law enforcement testified about the attack by supporters of former President Donald Trump on the U.S. Capitol. According to authorities, about 140 police officers were injured when they were trampled, had objects thrown at them, and sprayed with chemical irritants during the insurrection. Oliver Contreras-Pool/Getty Images

Four police officers present during January 6th Capitol riot recounted their testimony during the incident, saying that they were beaten and taunted with racial insults.

They also heard threats such as "kill him with his own gun." The officers said that they thought they might die as they try to defend the Capitol against a mob of supporters of former President Donald Trump, according to a Reuters report.

The officers said that the rioters engaged in an "attempted coup" during the congressional hearing. They also scrutinized Republican lawmakers who had tried to downplay the incident.

District of Columbia police officer Michael Fanone said that he felt like he "went to hell and back" just to protect the lawmakers inside the building.

Fanone said that the indifference that some of the lawmakers showed about the incident was disgraceful to him and his colleagues.

Police Officers Testimony

Capitol Officer Henry Dunn is a 13-year veteran of the Capitol Police force. He said that he had endured racist slurs when he was confronting the mob.

He said that he had also endured physical assaults from the mob and has expressed that outwardly, according to an NBC News report.

U.S. Capitol Police Sergeant Aquilino Gonell said that he was beaten with a flagpole during the riot. He also noted that he thought he would die that day.

Fanone said that he had suffered a heart attack and traumatic brain injury after the violent attack.

He added that he was grabbed, beaten, and tased while being called a traitor to his country.

Metropolitan Police officer Daniel Hodges was seen in viral videos being trapped between doors during the riot as he was trying to keep rioters from breaching the Capitol.

He later told the media that he was happy to do his duty despite the pain he experienced during the attack.

Meanwhile, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has arrested a Connecticut man for allegedly assaulting Hodges.

Gonell said that Trump had helped create the incident as he described rioters holding weapons, such as police shields, batons, sledgehammers, Taser devices, chemical irritants, and metal guard rails.

Capitol Riot Probe

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced in the House panel in June that she had created a panel primarily of Democrats.

Republican leadership boycotted the investigative panel, according to an Aljazeera report.

Pelosi had rejected the appointments of two Republican lawmakers, with close ties to Trump, to the panel.

The Democrats claim that Reps. Jim Banks and Jim Jordan had helped spread the Trump election misinformation, which prompted the riot in the first place.

Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson said that the legislators were going to be led solely by the facts. He added that there is no place for politics or partisanship in the probe.

Pelosi had appointed Republican Rep. Liz Cheney to the panel.

Cheney said that the American people deserve the full and open testimony of every person leading to the January 6th riot.

She added that they must also know what took place every minute of the day in the White House, including conversations and meetings.

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: 'Is This America?': Officer Dunn Recalls Racist Abuse He Faced During Capitol Riot - from NBC News