Screen grab from video presented at the Senate impeachment trial of former President Trump on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, shows Officer Eugene Goodman guiding Utah Sen. Mitt Romney away from the mob in the Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2021.
Democrats at the Senate impeachment trial of former President Trump on Wednesday broke out never-before-seen graphic footage from the Capitol riot, including the moment Officer Eugene Goodman saved Sen. Mitt Romney from encountering the mob. The videos included graphic scenes of fighting in front of the Capitol Building, demonstrators breaking into the windows, staffers scrambling through the halls to safety, and audio clips from radio communications between Capitol Police officers screaming desperately for help.
Advertisement
Capitol Police Officer Goodman has already won widespread praise for his heroism in single-handedly slowing down the mob as they ascended stairs, led by a man wearing a QAnon hoodie. The footage included a dramatic scene in which Goodman ran to meet rioters who had just forced their way into the building. The new video showed Goodman on his way to confront that crowd running past Utah Sen. Romney headed in the opposite direction, toward the intruders, seemingly oblivious to the threat. Goodman directed Romney to head the other direction, apparently saving the Trump-critic from a brush with a violent mob, before heading off to face them down by himself. After the video was shown, Romney told reporters he’d never seen the footage before, and had no idea how close he’d been to the rioters. He said he looked forward to thanking officer Goodman. “It tears at your heart and brings tears to your eyes,” Romney said. “That was overwhelmingly distressing and emotional."
Footage shown to senators as part of House Democrats’ presentation on the second day of former President Trump’s historic second impeachment trial also included harrowing images of the mob searching the Capitol halls for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and a video clip of Vice President Mike Pence fleeing from the Senate floor.
The images included the moment staffers zipped through a hallway to hide in an office, moments before the hall filled with rioters. One intruder down the outer door to the room where the staffers were hiding, only to be stopped by a second inner door. Another clip showed members of Congress and staffers fleeing the Senate floor.
The trial will continue this week with a vote expected as soon as this weekend or next week.