WASHINGTON (WNCN) — A bipartisan bill co-introduced by North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis seeks to award Capitol policeman and former Fort Bragg soldier Eugene Goodman with the Congressional Gold Medal.
Goodman is known for his heroism during the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol after a video went viral of him leading a mob of white men away from the Senate floor, potentially saving lives.
He is the only officer seen for a full minute on widely circulated footage captured by a news reporter. Goodman stands in front of the rioters and walks backward as the group follows him to a second-floor hallway, where other officers finally assist him.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal are the highest civilian awards of the United States.
The legislation was introduced with Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chris Coons (D-DE), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Ben Cardin (D-MD).
“The attack on the Capitol on January 6 was a tragic assault on our democracy that could have been much worse had it not been for the quick actions by Capitol Police Officers like Officer Eugene Goodman,” said Senator Tillis. “Facing down a mob of rioters, Officer Goodman led the violent mob away from the Senate Floor where they were mere feet away from Senators and the Vice President of the United States. I stand with my colleagues in our gratitude for his actions that will never be forgotten. Officer Goodman’s heroism is no surprise given his record of serving our nation, including in the XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg. He has made our great state and nation proud, and I am honored to co-introduce this bipartisan legislation awarding him the Congressional Gold Medal.”
Goodman recently accompanied Vice President Kamala Harris at the inauguration of Harris and President Joe Biden.
