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Eugene Goodman

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This article is about the police officer. For the co-founder of Velocette, see Eugene Goodman (businessman). For people with a similar name, see Gene Goodman (disambiguation).

Eugene Goodman
Goodman (left) receiving the Presidential Citizens Medal from US President Joe Biden in 2023
Deputy Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate
Acting
January 20, 2021 – March 2, 2021
Sergeant at ArmsJennifer Hemingway (acting)[1]
Preceded byJennifer Hemingway[1]
Succeeded byKelly Fado[2]
Personal details
Born1980 (age 43–44)
NationalityAmerican
OccupationLaw enforcement officer
Known forJanuary 6 United States Capitol attack
AwardsPresidential Citizens Medal (2023)
Police career
Department United States Capitol Police
Service years2009–present
Military career
Allegiance United States
Service / branch United States Army
Years of service2002–2006[3]
Rank Sergeant
Unit101st Airborne Division
Battles / warsIraq War

Eugene Goodman (born 1980) is an American United States Capitol Police officer who diverted invading rioters from the United States Senate chamber during the January 6 Capitol attack. Goodman is a U.S. Army veteran who served during the Iraq War. He served as the Acting Deputy Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate from January 20, 2021, to March 2, 2021.[4][2]

On February 12, 2021, the Senate adopted a resolution awarding Goodman the Congressional Gold Medal,[5] a resolution that died in the 117th Congress and never passed the House of Representatives.[6] On January 6, 2023, President Joe Biden awarded him the Presidential Citizens Medal.

Early life and military service

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Goodman was born in 1980 and raised in the southeast section of Washington, D.C.[3]

He served from 2002 to 2006 in the United States Army, including in combat with the 101st Airborne Division in the Iraq War.[7][8] As a sergeant deployed to Iraq in 2005, Goodman led a 10-man squad in the Sunni triangle area that conducted patrols and identified improvised explosive devices requiring detonation. He was described by members of his military company as "calm, cool, and collected".[9]

Goodman left the military in 2006. By 2009, he was a member of the U.S. Capitol Police.[10]

Response to the January 6 Capitol attack

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See also: January 6 United States Capitol attack
Senator Raphael Warnock tweeted on January 22, 2021, that he was honored to meet ("a true American hero") Goodman (right) and posted this photo of them taken by Senator Jon Ossoff two days after both new Georgia senators were sworn into office.

On Wednesday, January 6, 2021, supporters of Donald Trump breached the United States Capitol building when, unaccompanied by other officers, Goodman confronted them. He has been cited for heroism in baiting and diverting the rioters away from the Senate chamber in the minutes before the chamber could be safely evacuated. As the crowd of rioters reached a landing from which there was an unimpeded path to the chamber, Goodman pushed the lead person, Doug Jensen, and then deliberately retreated away from the chamber, enticing the crowd to chase him in another direction.[3][11][12][13] One media report described his actions as follows:

In short, he tricked them, willingly becoming the rabbit to their wolf pack, pulling them away from the chambers where armed officers were waiting, avoiding tragedy and saving lives. Lives which include their own.[14]

January 6 United
States Capitol attack
Timeline • Planning
Background
2020 presidential election
and other causes
Related groups and persons
Participants
Notable people
Organizations
Law enforcement response
Aftermath
Biden inauguration
Investigations and charges
Corporate actions
Reactions
Impeachment and 2024 presidential election

Those present at the time of the event, including Democratic and Republican legislators and members of the press, praised Goodman for his quick thinking and brave actions.[15][16][17][18] Republican Senator Ben Sasse credited Goodman with having "single-handedly prevented untold bloodshed".[17]

Goodman's former unit, the XVIII Airborne Corps, issued a statement shortly after the riot, commending his valor and saying that he "was a hero long before last Wednesday".[19]

Goodman's actions were captured in video footage taken by HuffPost reporter Igor Bobic.[20] Bobic's footage of Goodman went viral on the internet, receiving more than 10 million views.[21][22] A second video of Goodman's confrontation with the crowd was published by ProPublica on January 15.[22]

Goodman's actions have been credited with saving the lives of those who remained in the chambers of Congress, those in the hallways who were attempting to evacuate,[23] and the rioters themselves, who might otherwise have drawn forceful responses as with Ashli Babbitt, the woman who was shot while approaching the House chamber.

A video released on February 10, 2021, during the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump, showed Goodman leading Utah Senator Mitt Romney away from approaching rioters during the January 6 attack.[24] Romney later stated he did not know how close he was and he did not know it was Goodman who diverted him away from the rioters but he looked forward to thanking Goodman.[25]

Honors

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Goodman was honored at a Washington Nationals baseball game by being invited to throw the first pitch.

Following the attack on the Capitol, Jaime Harrison and others called for Goodman to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.[11][26] A bipartisan resolution (H.Res.305) was introduced on January 13, 2021, by Representatives Charlie Crist (D-FL), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), and Nancy Mace (R-SC) to award the medal to Goodman.[27][28][29]

Rep. Cleaver, one of the three original co-sponsors of the bill,[27] wrote that, "[i]f not for the quick, decisive, and heroic actions from Officer Goodman, the tragedy of last week's insurrection could have multiplied in magnitude to levels never before seen in American history. With this prestigious award, we can show our gratitude to Officer Goodman for saving countless lives and defending our democracy."[30]

Goodman also was awarded the Distinguished Public Service Award by both the secretary and chief of staff of the U.S. Army.[31]

In addition, online petitions at Care2 and Change.org to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Goodman had received more than 83,500 signatures as of January 21, 2021.[32] Following the event, Goodman said he was not looking for any accolades and expressed concern about potentially being targeted by extremists, but he insisted that he would "do the same thing again".[3]

On January 20, 2021, Goodman escorted Kamala Harris to her inauguration as the Vice President of the United States.[33] He was announced as the Acting Deputy Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate; when stepping out onto the inauguration platform ahead of Harris, he received a standing ovation and cheers from those attending the ceremony.[34]

Medals

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On February 12, 2021, the U.S. Senate voted by unanimous consent to bestow the Congressional Gold Medal on Eugene Goodman. He had been invited to attend the proceedings and was present in the Senate Chamber for the vote, at which time, Goodman received a standing ovation from the members.[5] On August 5, 2021, both chambers passed a concurrent resolution to award the Congressional Gold Medal to "The United States Capitol Police and those who protected the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021," without specific reference to Goodman. No action was ever taken in the House of Representatives to agree to the Senate's resolution awarding Goodman an individual Congressional Gold Medal as both chambers must pass the bill for an award to be conferred.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Cochrane, Emily (January 7, 2021). "Senate sergeant-at-arms resigns following House's top security official stepping down". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Majority Leader Schumer Announces New Senate Sergeant At Arms Leadership Team With Karen Gibson As SAA, Kelly Fado As Deputy SAA And Jennifer Hemingway As Chief Of Staff" (Press release). Senate Democratic Caucus. March 3, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d Tan, Rebecca (January 14, 2021). "A Black officer faced down a mostly White mob at the Capitol: Meet Eugene Goodman". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  4. ^ Brown, Stacy M. (January 23, 2021). "'Hero' Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman promoted to acting deputy sergeant-at-arms". Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Marcus, Josh (February 13, 2021). "Eugene Goodman, police officer hailed as Capitol riots hero, awarded congressional medal". The Independent. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  6. ^ "Officer Eugene Goodman Congressional Gold Medal Act (2021 - H.R. 305)". GovTrack.us. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  7. ^ Shane, Leo III (January 13, 2021). "Hero Capitol Police officer is a 101st Airborne veteran". Military Times. Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  8. ^ Johnson, Stephon (January 14, 2021). "American Hero: Eugene Goodman defends the Capitol". New York Amsterdam News. Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  9. ^ Kanno-Youngs, Zolan; Schmitt, Eric (February 12, 2021). "Videos Turn Eugene Goodman Into a Reluctant Hero in the Capitol Attack". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  10. ^ "Video of this lone Capitol Police officer speaks volumes — even if he won't". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. January 15, 2021. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  11. ^ a b Andrew, Scottie (January 12, 2021). "How a lone Capitol Police officer lured insurrectionists away from the Senate chambers". CNN. Archived from the original on January 13, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  12. ^ O'Kane, Caitlin (January 12, 2021). "Black officer seen risking his life to lead Capitol mob away from Senate chamber hailed as a hero". CBS News. Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  13. ^ Honderich, Holly (January 13, 2021). "Capitol police officer Eugene Goodman hailed as 'a hero'". BBC News. Archived from the original on January 12, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  14. ^ Sturdivant, Randolph Terrance (January 11, 2021). "A lone Black officer faced down violent US Capitol mob, fooled them to save lives | Reese's Final Thought". WUSA9. Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  15. ^ Longo, Adam; Boykin, Nick (January 11, 2021). "Congressional lawmakers share 'frightening' insight into Capitol riot, how a police officer saved lives". WFAA. Archived from the original on January 12, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  16. ^ "'He's a Hero!': Capitol Officer Could Receive Congressional Gold Medal". NBC Washington. January 14, 2021. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  17. ^ a b Sasse, Ben (January 16, 2021). "QAnon Is Destroying the GOP From Within". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  18. ^ Johnson, Jason (January 15, 2021). "Capitol officer Eugene Goodman must not fade into history — it's happened before". TheGrio. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  19. ^ Rahman, Khaleda (January 14, 2021). "Eugene Goodman, Capitol Officer Who Lured Mob Away, Hailed by His Former Airborne Corps". Newsweek. Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  20. ^ McLaughlin, Kelly (January 11, 2021). "Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman is being hailed as a hero for facing down an angry mob of Trump supporters and drawing them away from the Senate chamber". Business Insider. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  21. ^ Qamar, Aysha (January 14, 2021). "He went viral for saving the Senate, but Army vet Eugene Goodman 'was a hero long before'". Daily Kos. Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  22. ^ a b Gillum, Jack (January 15, 2021). ""Where They Countin' the Votes?!": New Video Details Tense Moments as Capitol Mob Sought Out Lawmakers". ProPublica. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  23. ^ Bacon, John (January 11, 2021). "Capitol Police officer being hailed as a hero for drawing angry mob away from Senate floor". USA Today. Archived from the original on January 13, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  24. ^ McLeod, Paul (February 10, 2021). "New Impeachment Video Shows Officer Eugene Goodman Saving Mitt Romney From Running Into Capitol Rioters". BuzzFeed News. Archived from the original on February 10, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  25. ^ "Live: Day 2 Of The Second Impeachment Trial of Donald Trump | NBC News NOW - YouTube". YouTube. February 11, 2021. Archived from the original on February 11, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  26. ^ Harrison, Jaime [@harrisonjaime] (January 10, 2021). "The word hero does not appropriately describe officer Eugene Goodman. His judgment & heroism may have saved our Republic. I hope @SpeakerPelosi @SenSchumer @WhipClyburn consider him for the Congressional Medal of Honor. It is the least we can do" (Tweet). Retrieved January 20, 2021 – via Twitter.
  27. ^ a b "H.R.305 – To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Officer Eugene Goodman". Congress.gov. January 13, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  28. ^ Blitzer, Ronn (January 14, 2021). "Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman should be awarded Congressional Gold Medal, lawmakers say in resolution". Fox News. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  29. ^ Williams, Jordan (January 14, 2021). "Lawmakers introduce bill to award Capitol Police officer Congressional Gold Medal". The Hill. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  30. ^ Guerilus, Stephanie (January 14, 2021). "Lawmakers want to honor Capitol Police officer Eugene Goodman with Congressional Gold Medal". TheGrio. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  31. ^ Jacobo, Julia; Turner, Trish (February 11, 2021). "Mitt Romney thanks Capitol Officer Eugene Goodman for leading him away from rioters". ABC News. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  32. ^ Major, Derek (January 13, 2021). "Petition to Award Black Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman a Medal for Bravery Picking Up Steam". Black Enterprise. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  33. ^ Cochrane, Emily (January 20, 2021). "Eugene Goodman, a Capitol Police officer who diverted the mob during the riot, escorted Harris". The New York Times. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  34. ^ Kamala Harris Escorted By Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman. NBC News. January 20, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2021 – via YouTube.
  35. ^ "Biden grants Presidential Citizens Medals 2 years after Jan. 6 Capitol attack". CBS News. January 6, 2023.
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