Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone testified Tuesday that the Jan. 6 Capitol attack was “unlike anything” he’d ever seen in his law enforcement career.
Fanone, a narcotics officer who was among hundreds of law enforcement officials who defended the Capitol, recounted his experience of having his badge ripped off and being beaten by rioters.
“In this line of work, it probably won’t shock you to know that I’ve dealt with some dicey situations. I thought I’d seen it all many times over,” Fanone told lawmakers on the select committee investigating the Capitol attack during the panel’s inaugural hearing.
“Yet what I witnessed and experienced on Jan. 6, 2021, was unlike anything I had ever seen, anything I’d ever experienced or could have imagined in my country,” he continued.
Fanone described how rioters used his own stun gun on him, and overhearing another who suggested killing him with his own gun.
“I was grabbed, tased [and] beaten — all while being called a traitor to my country,” Fanone said.
“I was at risk of being stripped of and killed with my own firearm as I heard chants of ‘kill him with his own gun.’ I can still hear those words in my head today,” he said.
Fanone then slammed House Republicans for downplaying the events of Jan. 6, calling their behavior “disgraceful.”
“The indifference being shown to my colleagues is disgraceful,” Fanone said while slamming his hand on the table.
“My law enforcement career prepared me to cope with some of the aspects of this experience,” Fanone said. “Nothing has prepared me to address those elected members of our government who continue to deny the events of that day. And in doing so, betray their oath of office.”
Fanone was one of several officers to testify Tuesday describing their experience during the riot, with many recounting violent scenes as the mob overwhelmed police and breached the Capitol.