Officers Who Defended Capitol On Jan. 6 Blast Trump’s Pardons | EUROtoday

WASHINGTON ― Current and former cops who defended the U.S. Capitol from President Donald Trump’s mob on Jan. 6, 2021, have been outraged Monday by Trump’s mass pardon of the rioters.

“Today is another dark day in American history and a continuation of the stain that January 6th left on our nation,” former U.S. Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn mentioned in a press release. “I am infuriated, but not surprised in the slightest. We can’t pretend to be shocked because Trump has fulfilled his longstanding promise to pardon the criminals he incited to attack me and my fellow officers.”

The Justice Department charged greater than 1,500 folks with crimes for attacking the Capitol that day, together with a whole lot for interfering with or assaulting legislation enforcement. Dozens of officers suffered accidents that day; 5 officers died afterward, one from a stroke and 4 by suicide.

On Monday, in one in every of his first acts as president, Trump provided clemency to all concerned, commuting the sentences of 14 offenders who orchestrated the storming of the Capitol and providing “a full, complete and unconditional pardon to all other individuals convicted of offenses related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021,” based on a launch from the White House.

“This is a miserable miscarriage of justice and erases accountability for the criminals who have done irreparable damage to our nation,” Former Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell mentioned in assertion. “The scars of January 6, 2021 are seared in my mind and body, and I will never truly recover from the events of that day.”

Dunn and Gonell have been outspoken critics of Trump for inciting the riot and pledging to pardon members of the mob. Dunn left the Capitol Police for an unsuccessful bid for a U.S. House seat in Maryland; Gonell mentioned he left resulting from accidents sustained on Jan. 6, together with to his shoulder and foot. Both have partnered with a liberal group referred to as Courage for America to warn towards Trump’s embrace of political violence.

Current D.C. police officer Daniel Hodges provided a extra understated response to the pardons Monday night.

“Just worked about 14 hours making sure Trump’s inauguration was secure and peaceful, got home, read this,” Hodges mentioned on social media. “Thanks America.”