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Then, Fanone, who had just suffered a Taser several times in the neck, heard something chilling that put him in survival mode.
“Some guys started grabbing my gun and they were screaming, ‘Kill him with his own gun,’” said Fanone, who has been a police officer for almost two decades.
In an interview with CNN, Fanone described his experience fighting against a host of supporters of President Donald Trump who had invaded the Capitol in an insurgency never before seen in modern American history.
Federal officials said details of the violence that emerge would be concerning.
Fanone, a narcotics detective who works in civilian clothes, heard the commotion on Capitol Hill and grabbed his brand new police uniform that was hanging in his locker and put it on for the first time, he said. He ran towards the building with his partner and helped police officers who were being repelled by rioters.
But Fanone, who said he would rather be shot than be dragged into a crowd over which he had no control, suddenly found himself in his biggest nightmare as an officer. And in those few moments, Fanone considered using deadly force. He thought about using his weapon but knew he didn’t have enough firepower and would soon be overpowered again, except this time they would probably use his weapon against him and they would have every reason to end to his days.
“So the other option I thought about was trying to appeal to someone’s humanity. And I just remember screaming that I have kids. And it seemed to work.” said the 40-year-old father of four.
A group of rioters surrounded Fanone and protected him until help arrived, saving his life.
“Thanks, but damn for being there,” Fanone said of the rioters who protected him at the time.
Fanone’s anger and frustration was a sentiment felt by law enforcement officials across the country, furious that Trump supporters violated Capitol grounds on the same day Joe Biden’s victory was confirmed by the House. and the Senate.
Fanone’s dramatic encounter with rioters backing Trump was repeated across the grounds of the U.S. Capitol as law enforcement fought to push them back. Fanone, one of dozens of officers injured in the brutal battle, shared her story for the first time, still suffering the effects of a mild heart attack.
Since the Capitol breach, investigators have dissected every aspect of the day’s events, from the response of the U.S. Capitol Police to the nationwide manhunt for everyone involved.
“Certainly some things that we saw on the ground indicated that there was some coordination going on, but I think as we deepen the investigation a lot will come to light,” said Thursday to reporters interim MPD leader Robert Contee.
Fanone said the rioters had weapons, either their own or taken from fellow police.
“We were getting sprayed with chemical irritants. They had pipes and various metal objects, batons, some of which I think they had taken from law enforcement officers. They hit us with those,” he said. Fanone, who added that he was not. is going to be sitting at a desk while an insurgency unfolds on Capitol Hill.
“And then it was just the large number of rioters. The force that came from that side,” he added. “It was difficult to offer resistance when you are only about 30 players against 15,000.”
‘He practically foamed in his mouth’
Officer Daniel Hodges was another officer who attempted to fight off the rioters but was manhandled in battle. Hodges gained notoriety after the broadcast of images of him being run over by a door. The 32-year-old officer is seen in the clip with blood streaming through his teeth as he kept breathing enough air to be able to shout “Help” at the top of his lungs.
Hodges ran to Capitol Hill to offer his support like many others and soon found himself assaulted by an angry mob who he said believed they were patriots.
“There was a guy who ripped my mask off he was able to rip the baton and beat me with it,” said Hodges, who was stuck in the door and added that his arm was bent before they ripped it off. ‘armed.
“It was practically foaming in his mouth so fair, these people were true believers in the worst possible way.”
Hodges was eventually rescued by other officers who eventually came to his aid.
“You know things were bad,” said Hodges, who left miraculously without a major injury and may have suffered a mild concussion. “I was calling for everything I was worth, and an officer behind me was able to make enough room for me to pull me out of there and bring me back to the back so I could extricate myself.”
It was Hodges’ first visit to the Capitol building.
‘They felt empowered’
The patrol officer said he had heard about the possibility of violence for years, so he was not surprised that rioters stormed the Capitol. What surprised him was how much the insurgents thought the police would be on their side.
“Some of them felt like we would be quick friends because a lot of them spoke out,” Hodges said. “They say things like, ‘Yeah, we stood by you through this whole Black Lives Matter thing, you should have our back’ and they felt entitled.
He added: “They felt like they were just going to walk up there and tell us that they are here to take over Congress and we would agree with them and we would walk hand in hand and take control. of the nation. But of course, it is not and it never will be. ”
Today, just days before Biden’s inauguration, federal officials are warning of other threats that may arise.
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser has publicly warned people not to come to town for the grand opening.
Hodges echoed his sentiments and wanted not only residents but also Trump supporters and extremists to stay at home. But with a caveat.
“Stay home. Stop it,” Hodges said. “On the other hand, I hope they’re taken. Let’s stop there.
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