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Videos Turn Eugene Goodman Into a Reluctant Hero in the Capitol Attack.See the video here.

Writer's picture: Souradeep KunduSouradeep Kundu

One footage stands out among the harrowing photographs shown during former President Donald J. Trump's impeachment trial: a police officer sprinting toward a U.S. representative to warn of the surrounding furious crowd.



It shows a congressman, Mitt Romney, spinning on his heels and running for safety.




Mr. Romney told reporters on Thursday, one day after the video showed Eugene Goodman, a Capitol Police officer already known for his courage, saving him, "I don't think my family or my wife understood that I was as close as I might have been to real danger." "They were amazed and very, very grateful to Officer Goodman for being there and guiding me back to safety."



It was the second time for Officer Goodman that a video went viral showing behavior generally associated with protecting Congress members. The first, which saw him luring a crowd single-handedly away from the Senate entrance into an area of reinforcements, turned him into a hero. The second has contributed to his lore.


Both also catapulted Officer Goodman, a retired Army infantryman who served at one of the most deadly periods of the war in one of the most dangerous areas of Iraq, to fame that he never pursued.


Mr. Romney could be seen chatting with Officer Goodman on Wednesday after seeing the videos that showed Officer Goodman leading Mr. Romney to security. Senator Rob Portman, the Ohio Republican, then walked over, and Officer Goodman fist-bumped.


On Thursday, when she proposed legislation to award the Capitol Police and other law enforcement officers who replied on Jan. 6 with the Congressional Gold Medal, Congress' highest honor, Speaker Nancy Pelosi pointed out Officer Goodman for his bravery. At the inauguration of President Joseph R. Biden Jr. on Jan. 20, Officer Goodman was assigned the task of escorting Vice President Kamala Harris.


Veterans who served in Iraq some 15 years ago alongside Officer Goodman in the 101st Airborne Division claim that the officer, then known as "Goody," never craved accolades.


Said Mark Belda, who worked with Officer Goodman in Iraq, "I saw him come out in front of the vice president and he immediately ducked to the right." "I thought that's definitely Goody."


As he watched the first video closely, Mr. Belda said, he saw qualities he had remembered in Iraqi Officer Goodman. "He was not susceptible to irritation. As an infantryman, it's the job to be violent, but using the stick before using the carrot was never his first response.

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