Capitol Cop Says Trump Supporters Called Him The N-Word During Jan. 6 Attack

More and more insurrectionists were pouring into the area by the Speaker’s Lobby near the Rotunda, some wearing “MAGA” hats and shirts that said “Trump 2020.” I told them to leave the Capitol, and in response, they yelled back: “No, no, man, this is our house!” “President Trump invited us here!” “We’re here to stop the steal!” “Joe Biden is not the President!” “Nobody voted for Joe Biden!”

I am a law enforcement officer, and I keep politics out of my job. But in this circumstance, I responded: “Well, I voted for Joe Biden. Does my vote not count? Am I nobody?”

That prompted a torrent of racial epithets. One woman in a pink “MAGA” shirt yelled, “You hear that, guys, this n****r voted for Joe Biden!” Then the crowd, perhaps around 20 people, joined in, screaming “Boo! Fucking n****r!”

No one had ever — ever ― called me a “n****r” while wearing the uniform of a Capitol Police officer. In the days following the attempted insurrection, other Black officers shared with me their own stories of racial abuse on January 6. One officer told me he had never, in his entire 40 years of life, been called a “n****r” to his face, and that that streak ended on January 6. Yet another Black officer later told he had been confronted by insurrectionists inside the Capitol, who told him to “Put your gun down and we’ll show you what kind of n****r you really are!”

sanantoniosaucier on July 27th, 2021 at 17:29 UTC »

Well, they're racists... of course they did.

terminaljive on July 27th, 2021 at 17:25 UTC »

And it's crickets from the "all lives matter" crowd.

Edit to add: yes, I know how they use "All Lives Matter/Blue Lives Matter" as a dog whistle, I was pointing that out in a rather sardonic way.

We_Have_To_Go_Back on July 27th, 2021 at 17:07 UTC »

Here's officer Harry Dunn's testimony:

"More and more insurrectionists were pouring into the area by the Speaker’s Lobby near the Rotunda, some wearing “MAGA” hats and shirts that said “Trump 2020.” I told them to leave the Capitol, and in response, they yelled back: “No, no, man, this is our house!” “President Trump invited us here!” “We’re here to stop the steal!” “Joe Biden is not the President!” “Nobody voted for Joe Biden!” I am a law enforcement officer, and I keep politics out of my job. But in this circumstance, I responded: “Well, I voted for Joe Biden. Does my vote not count? Am I nobody?” That prompted a torrent of racial epithets. One woman in a pink “MAGA” shirt yelled, “You hear that, guys, this nigger voted for Joe Biden!” Then the crowd, perhaps around 20 people, joined in, screaming “Boo! Fucking nigger!” No one had ever — ever ― called me a “nigger” while wearing the uniform of a Capitol Police officer. In the days following the attempted insurrection, other Black officers shared with me their own stories of racial abuse on January 6. One officer told me he had never, in his entire 40 years of life, been called a “nigger” to his face, and that that streak ended on January 6. Yet another Black officer later told he had been confronted by insurrectionists inside the Capitol, who told him to “Put your gun down and we’ll show you what kind of nigger you really are!”

To be candid, the rest of that afternoon is a blur. But I know I went throughout the Capitol to assist other officers who needed aid, and to help expel more insurrectionists. In the Crypt, I encountered Sergeant Gonell, who was giving assistance to an unconscious woman who had been in the crowd of rioters on the west side of the Capitol. I helped to carry her to the House Majority Leader’s office, where she was administered CPR. As the afternoon wore on, I was completely drained both physically and emotionally, and in shock and disbelief over what had happened. Once the building was cleared, I went to the Rotunda to recover with other officers and share our experiences from that afternoon. Rep. Rodney Davis was there offering support to officers, and when he and I saw each other he came over and gave me a big hug.

I sat down on a bench with a friend of mine who is also a black Capitol Police officer, and told him about the racial slurs I had endured. I became very emotional and began yelling “How the [expletive] can something like this happen?! Is this America?” I began sobbing, and officers came over to console me"