C_Clayton_Jones
Diamond Member
āOver the last four years, itās been devastating to me to hear Donald Trump repeat his promise to pardon insurrectionists on the first day heās back in office. āIt will be my great honor to pardon the peaceful protesters, or as I often call them, the hostages,ā he said in a speech last year. But all of us who were there and anyone who watched on TV know that those who stormed the Capitol were not peaceful protesters. Pardoning them would be an outrageous mistake, one that could mean about 800 convicted criminals will be back on the street.
It could also put me in danger, as Iāve continued to testify in court and Iāve given victim statements in cases against dozens of the rioters who assaulted me and my fellow officers.
I was one of the fortunate ones that day; nine people wound up dead as a result of the rampage. Two protesters had fatal medical episodes, one rioter overdosed during the uproar and another was fatally shot by a policeman while forcing her way into the House Chamber. One of my colleagues, 42-year-old Officer Brian Sicknick, suffered two strokes after the trauma of fighting off multiple protesters who sprayed him with a chemical irritant. He didnāt survive. Four D.C. policemen harmed in the riots later died by suicide.
My friend Harry Dunn, the first law enforcement member to prominently condemn the brazen uprising, testified about our primitive hand-to-hand fighting against improvised weaponry like flagpoles, metal bike racks and projectiles, with officers bleeding, blinded and coughing from bear spray. Called racial slurs, Harry has since retired his blue uniform. My co-worker Michael Fanone was beaten, burned and electrically shocked. He suffered a heart attack, concussion and traumatic brain injury that caused him to also leave his position at the Metropolitan Police. While physically recovering, heās been the target of constant harassment from Trump supporters and has struggled to find steady work. Steven Sund, who was the Capitol Police chief, has been scapegoated and resigned under pressure.ā
www.nytimes.com
No one should forget January 6th, when Trump committed treasonous, historic crimes: attempting to overturn a presidential election, disenfranchise millions of Americans, and disrupt the peaceful transfer of power.
For more than two hours Trump did nothing to stop the violent, lawless attack of the Capitol Building ā an attack Trump himself incited.
It could also put me in danger, as Iāve continued to testify in court and Iāve given victim statements in cases against dozens of the rioters who assaulted me and my fellow officers.
I was one of the fortunate ones that day; nine people wound up dead as a result of the rampage. Two protesters had fatal medical episodes, one rioter overdosed during the uproar and another was fatally shot by a policeman while forcing her way into the House Chamber. One of my colleagues, 42-year-old Officer Brian Sicknick, suffered two strokes after the trauma of fighting off multiple protesters who sprayed him with a chemical irritant. He didnāt survive. Four D.C. policemen harmed in the riots later died by suicide.
My friend Harry Dunn, the first law enforcement member to prominently condemn the brazen uprising, testified about our primitive hand-to-hand fighting against improvised weaponry like flagpoles, metal bike racks and projectiles, with officers bleeding, blinded and coughing from bear spray. Called racial slurs, Harry has since retired his blue uniform. My co-worker Michael Fanone was beaten, burned and electrically shocked. He suffered a heart attack, concussion and traumatic brain injury that caused him to also leave his position at the Metropolitan Police. While physically recovering, heās been the target of constant harassment from Trump supporters and has struggled to find steady work. Steven Sund, who was the Capitol Police chief, has been scapegoated and resigned under pressure.ā

Opinion | For Many of Us, Jan. 6 Never Ended
Donald Trump is promising to pardon Jan. 6 rioters. But we canāt let him rewrite history.
No one should forget January 6th, when Trump committed treasonous, historic crimes: attempting to overturn a presidential election, disenfranchise millions of Americans, and disrupt the peaceful transfer of power.
For more than two hours Trump did nothing to stop the violent, lawless attack of the Capitol Building ā an attack Trump himself incited.