The Capitol Hill police officer who was praised as a hero during the Capitol Hill riots earlier this month was given the honour of escorting Vice President Kamala Harris to the inauguration ceremony.
Eugene Goodman earned praise during the riots for distracting and leading the rioters away from the Senate chambers.
In a video, which later went viral, Mr Goodman can be seen leading a group of rioters who are chasing him up a set of stairs and down a corridor away from the Senate and towards another group of officers who provided backup.
In the confrontation, Mr Goodman puts himself between a man wearing a black t-shirt for the QAnon conspiracy movement and a hallway leading to the Senate chambers, then shoves the person to induce him and the crowd to chase him toward officers in the opposite direction.
“As Trump’s fascist mob ransacked the US Capitol, this brave USCP officer kept murderous rioters away from the Senate chamber and saved the lives of those inside. God bless him for his courage,” US Representative Bill Pascrell said at the time.
Three lawmakers last week moved to award Mr Goodman with the Congressional Gold Medal for potentially saving the lives of lawmakers during the riots.
