Although most of the stories from the violent attacks on the Capitol were awful, there were a few commendable acts. Like the women aides who had the wherewithal to collect and secure the ballots so the electoral vote could be certified that night as scheduled. Or the young aides who protected their congressional bosses by sheltering in place because they’d been taught to during active shooter drills in school. But one story stood out and that was the actions of Officer Eugene Goodman of the Capitol Police Force. Officer Goodman used himself as bait to lure Capitol insurrectionists away the unsecured doors of the Senate floor and directly into a group of fellow officers:
Absolutely everyone hailed Goodman as a hero, which is exactly what he was. While we watched other officers moving barricades and taking selfies with the terrorists, this man put his life on the line.
There has been much discussion about how, exactly, Goodman will be honored. Many in Congress want to award him the Congressional Gold Medal. I’m sure the Capitol Police force will give him a commendation, perhaps the Mayor of DC will as well. We may eventually see Officer Goodman at one of our new president’s Medal of Freedom ceremonies, who knows. Right now, the dust is still settling from that day and so much needs to be sorted out, both good and bad. With the inauguration and fear of subsequent disruption, accolades and awards must take a backseat to more pressing matters. That’s why it was so impressive that the Biden Inauguration team found a wonderful way to honor Officer Goodman. He was asked to escort Vice President Kamala Harris to the Inauguration as she was sworn in as the first Black/Asian Female Vice President of the United States of America
The now-famous Capitol Police officer who rerouted rioters away from the Senate chamber during the insurrection, potentially saving the lives of Vice President Mike Pence and others, has been promoted to acting deputy House Sergeant at Arms. As part of his new job, Eugene Goodman, a Black officer, escorted Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, the first Black woman to hold the office, at the inauguration on Wednesday. Goodman escorted Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff through the Capitol shortly after 11 a.m. Harris and President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn in today in a slimmed-down ceremony with precautions for the coronavirus pandemic.
I’m giving credit to the Inaugural team, but I don’t know who made the call. VP Harris might have requested Goodman specifically. I, for one, got very emotional when I saw him walking VP Harris (I just like writing it out) and her husband into the building. Not only emotional, but a little safer, did you see how seriously he took his role?
NEW—Eugene Goodman, the Capitol Police officer who risked his life to draw the Jan. 6 rioters away from the Senate chamber, has been named the Acting Deputy House Sergeant at Arms…
…now escorts the Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris at #Inauguration
pic.twitter.com/aG6Z9GsJTH— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) January 20, 2021
Goodman’s presence was lost on nobody. Listen to the ovation he received when he was announced:
The man who saved the Senate.
Standing ovation and cheers for a true hero, Officer Eugene Goodman. pic.twitter.com/MtmQIr6gZk
— Rep. Jason Crow (@RepJasonCrow) January 20, 2021
Goodman stayed with VP Harris up until she left for Arlington cemetery (I appreciate he wore the camelhair coat, so I was able to find him on TV). Following that, I assume he will return to his job on the force, where everyone will move about the Capitol with more confidence knowing he’s there. Hopefully the honors, citations and commendations will come flooding in. But this is why I love this particular recognition so much: as much as plaques and medals look good hanging on a wall, this honor was the job itself. They said he was so good at what he does, they wanted him to do it for the most important people in the country on the most important day of their career. That is the highest honor they could pay him, and they did it in front of the entire nation. It was a beautiful message for an remarkable person. Perfect.
Started. Going. Strong. pic.twitter.com/5RHqqd1qvA
— YS (@NYinLA2121) January 20, 2021
These are from Inauguration rehearsals
I hope it is a permanent promotion. And he looked amazing, love his coat game! I don’t know, I saw Tom and Lorenzo tweet that they didn’t see one picture of Officer Goodman from yesterday where he didn’t look like “he was going through some stuff.” That upset me and I went and looked. I am not sure I see it that way. I hope not.
I hope he’s doing well, too. He may be having a hard time, as we all are, because it does look like at least some of his colleagues on the Capitol Police force were in on the attack, but we will see what the investigations find. I can’t imagine that’s an easy realization for the men and women who take their jobs seriously and want to protect democracy.
A HERO!
A TRUE Hero!! How many of us can honestly say we’d stay and face a racist mob like that if we were a POC? I don’t think I would have the courage, even with the training.
Yesterday was such an emotional day. I watched from about 5 am PST until it was all over (fireworks were UNBELIEVABLE!). I cried/got choked up so much all day, *good* crying…of happiness, of “the feels”…
Seeing this hero, Officer Goodman escorting Kamala … just…wow. He literally helped save our Democracy. Considering how T**** defiled the Presidential Medal of Honor, I wouldn’t want EG to get that. Congressional Gold Medal for sure!
He has been named Acting Deputy Sergeant at Arms for the Senate. He may stay in that position after all of the investigations into the insurrection are complete, but that’s going to take a while.
According to the Washington Post, he’s having a hard time with the spotlight and seems to want to go back to his anonymous life. That’s also going to take a while. I hope that people can respect his choices of what to do or not to do.
I saw that TLo tweet. I’ll admit I didn’t notice at first; I just thought he was “on watch.” But upon further reflection, you can tell that he’s really uncomfortable with the spotlight.
I hope he gets some well-earned rest soon. He deserves it.
Agreed…I think he probably is rightfully fearful for his family since all these terrorists now know his name. I pray for him, that the Ancestors may protect him and his loved ones and give him strength to continue and that he may be richly rewarded for his heroism and bravery.
I cry every time I see a picture of him, just so emotional at what he did for us all, what it meant for a Black man in Amerikka to go up against an entire crowd of murderous white terrorists. (Black people saving this country, yet again. I just hope this administration starts to give us our due.) His bravery…It’s just beyond words. I’m glad he’s being recognized and in such a profound way.
He is worried about the increased attention he is getting because he thinks it will make him a target of white supremacists. After the videos came out showing what he did on January 6, the media wanted to interview him but he refused, and that was the reason.
Same. Instant waterworks every time I see a picture of him. I hope he is honored in a way that is meaningful to him, and I hope he is protected against the nutjobs.
After all the investigations are done, I totally believe he is going to get promoted.
He saved a lot of lives with that quick thinking and you know, not being a Insurrectionist.
He has already been promoted, to Seargent at arms
Acting Deputy.
It is not definite.
Correct, it’s “acting” SAA.
My. Heart. Soared.
Bless him.
Yes. This is how things should work but never did in Trumpworld. Good works should be recognized and rewarded.
This was a beautiful honor, I was overjoyed to see him there. And I felt assured of Kamala and Doug’s safety knowing he was the escort, that was a gift to everyone
It was very lovely that they did this, it was very deserved.
When I was watching him live during the riot, I was terrified for him. I didn’t realize what he was doing at the time. Bless him. Hero.
Thank God for Officer Goodman. It was the ultimate pivotal moment in the Capitol during the insurrection when the group of terrorists came up the stairs and had to decide to turn left or right. If they had gone down the hallway to the right, they would’ve gotten to the Senate and i believe that that day would’ve gone drastically differently with horrible results. Officer Goodman bravely used himself as bait to coax the group into going left instead, and he could’ve lost his life. What a hero. He single handedly saved the Senate in that moment. He deserves so many more honors, awards, & recognition.
Loved him and he was giving anyone the eye that got too close to Kamala. He was not playing.
You do not mess with a man of his caliber.
If not for his quick thinking, yesterday would have looked much different! Thank you Officer Goodman for protecting our democracy.
Wow, look at that, I can still get teary about this event even today.
I saw this story yesterday and it’s an outstanding choice on so many levels.
I hope he’s ok dealing with the scrutiny on top of what must have been a hugely traumatic event at the time never mind processing the emotions since. I’m not reading anything into his facial expressions in the photos, I challenge anyone not to be feeling strong emotions being a part of that event, but this guy has been through a lot and is now in the public eye too. Yikes.
Strip Limbaugh of that Medal of Freedom and give it to Eugene Goodman!
Just love him and his entire story. Praying for his and his family’s safety.
Thank you for this lovely post about our nation’s surprise hero, Sgt Goodman. I’m in tears again whist reading and watching these attached videos.
I get very choked up every time I think about him and what he did, and what he must’ve been feeling in those moments. This was a wonderful honor for him, and we are fortunate to have someone like him in his position.
I hope he has a very good support system around him, I’m sure all of this attention has made him a little wary, and the whole thing has been so traumatizing.
Look for the helpers…in this case a quick thinking, brave and bold hero.
If anyone deserves to walk out to a fanfare of herald trumpets it is this man. God bless him.
Seeing him do this job made me extremely emotional. Goodman is indeed a good man.
I read that he does not want to be in the news and has refused all interviews. All his family and friends have also refused any interviews. Part of me is curious why, but I am a private person myself so completely understand his decision. Out of respect to him I will simply say, congratulations on the promotion and thank you for your service!
If I had to take a guess, he’s in a delicate position because there were fellow officers complicit in the insurrection.
Also it’s emerging how quite a long history of racist abuse of black police and sexist abuse of female Capitol police have gone unregarded by Congress. As a black man, he probably knows he would be grilled about that and he clearly is the kind of man who would rather just focus on his job, than try to help journalists sort out generations of dysfunction he had to learn to operate within.
It isn’t a good time right now for this insular, fraternal organization. We can’t forget that whatever is going on is bad enough that one policeman took his own life and their leader resigned.
Being a good officer among a mix of good and bad ones isn’t easy. Especially where everything can be reinterpreted as a betrayal when the good guys take a step back and leave the bad ones to stand out and answer for their actions.
And I’m sure it’s not lost on him that the environment is so incendiary right now that speaking with the wrong journalists could see his words twisted into something he doesn’t mean or intend.
Goodness, that sort of thing happens here among us with our comments, and we all for the most part have good and honorable intentions. There are days I post a comment thinking I’m conveying one message and I come back and see someone has made something else out of it entirely that wasn’t in my head at all. I can understand them seeing it that way, but it drives me to stress that I can’t convince them that’s not how I was even capable of seeing it from my point of view and life experiences.
This officer doesn’t need that kind of stress and distraction. He’s clearly meant for better things now and that will require all of his focus.
Excellent comment GuestWithCat. I’m in agreement with everything you’ve said. Also, I always look forward to your comments as they seem well thought out and articulate to me.
Thank you @GuestwithCat
Astute comment Guestwithcat. Communication is complicated! Regarding Officer Goodman, I had read that he was worried about becoming a target of white supremacists after his actions on January 6. At least that was one of the reasons he did not want to speak to journalists.
Shows how far we have to go, that this good man has to worry about being a target.
I really admire his choice to avoid the press. The attention from the media is well deserved but he doesn’t want to play the role of the hero. He wants to let his actions speak for themselves. (Just the kind of hero we need in this country after four years of a reality TV president who courted and bated the press at every turn.)
He was doing his job that he takes very seriously, and he does not want any special treatment. Something we do not see often these days.
I think this story is one of the best of the inauguration day. It is profoundly moving.
Tearing up. He is wonderful!
I keep thinking how it must’ve felt for him, after being chased by a racist mob of white supremacists, to be able to escort a Black woman to take her oath as VP. I hope it was a healing experience for him.
He is a BOSS!!!!
I was frightened for him when I saw that video, and I am so proud of him now!
I was a bit miffed at first because I was like, he escorted VP Harris and is ACTING SAA – they could have done way better BUT after reading Kaiser’s points – I get it. The dust is still settling and honors are to come. I really hope he gets a medal and promotions and everything else that is due to him. He is a TRUE hero. Now that is a person I would love to meet when I visit again.
Still tearing up.
Such a well deserved honor. He saved lives and possibly changed the course of history.
I was teary the whole inauguration. This made the tears fall. So well deserved.
Hope the promotion is permanent
So, so, so many times I cried during the inauguration and during this especially. Such a hero gives me hope and all the ones not thrust into the spotlight. Still tears today. Thank you Officer Goodman, by name and deeds.
I was wondering who was the man in the tan coat? as they took pics in the steps he appeared so alert. very impressive he deserves the accolades! This admin is doing great so far! YASSSS
Buddy had one heck of a glow up. good lookin and well styled man
Real-life American hero right there. So glad we were able to see him on Inauguration Day and very happy the VPOTUS team asked him to be part of Harris’s escort. A really nice way to recognize his act of extreme courage and patriotism.
This makes me happy. What a brilliant man, he deserves all the good things.