Page 13 - Sergeant Gonell News Today

>> reporter: around 6:00 the riot had calmed enough that sergeant gonell could finally tell his wife he had survived. >> i started texting my wife and what i said to her, im okay. ill see you whenever. >> reporter: congress resumed certifying the electoral college votes that night. sergeant gonell arrived back home around 3:00 a.m. january 7th but found little relief. >> when i came in she wanted to hug me and i told her no because i was -- i was covered in pepper spray, my hands were bleeding s...

Its like five, ten minutes hug. i just cried. and he kept telling me its going to be okay, i was like, no, i have to go back to work. i have to go back to work. >> reporter: for him the riot is hardly in the rear view. >> the motion is not agreed to. >> reporter: the failure of a bill to establish a commission to establish the origins of the insurrection left him devastated but gave him a reason to speak out. >> hurts me that the country that i love, that i came in, that i have sacrificed so muc...

Them. and we werent. so, they turned against us. its very scary. because i -- i thought i was going to lose my life right there. >> reporter: some of the most horrific video shows sergeant gonell steps from daniel hodges caught in a doorway. >> i could hear my fellow officer screaming. the agony in some of them. all i could think was we cant let these people in. theres going to be a slaughter inside. >> sergeant gonell came forward, on his own. not to speak for the department. he said he couldnt...

>> what do you -- what do you want to say to america? because there are a lot of people in america, who believe we should move on from january 6th. there should not be a commission. you see the -- you -- you see the reports. you see the -- the lawmakers on capitol hill. thinking the same thing. what do you want to say, sergeant? >> what i want them to know is that that could have been my family. and i saw myself the day i had decided to come forward with it. i have many and multiple incident or ...

And there are things that i had not seen myself or dont remember, me, those things happening to me. but they are caught on camera. and hey, sergeant, is this you? it looks like you. it is you. >> every day since january 6 you have to either talk to law enforcement or relive this. >> most of the time, yes. >> so the reason i ask, i want people know about your injuries. your hand was sliced open. your knuckles were bleeding as you held the doors. your foot needed surgery. >> my shoulder as well. >...

Our whitney wild spoke with some officers who were there that day and described the horrors they endured. >> reporter: what was the worst thing they called you? >> traitor. >> reporter: why was that the worst thing? s>> because i serve my country. i went overseas to protect our homeland from foreign threats, but yet here i am battling them in our own capitol. >> reporter: united states capitol police sergeant gonell immigrated from the dominican republic to the u.s. at 12 years old in 1991, depl...

Because i -- i thought i was going to lose my life right there. >> some of the most horrific video shows sergeant gonell steps from daniel hodges caught in a doorway. >> i could hear my fellow officers screaming, the agony in some of them. all i could think is we cant let these people in. there is going to be a slaughter inside. >> sergeant gonell came forward on his own. not to speak for the department. he said he couldnt stay silent anymore about what happened on january 6. and here he is live...

I got hurt. i would do it again if i had to. its my job. >> reporter: sergeant gonell led members of the departments civil disturbance unit. for hours they battled insurrectionists attacking the capitol. this video shows his fight on the west front. >> they kept saying trump send me. we wont listen to you. we are here to take over the capitol. we are here to hang mike pence. they thought we were there for them and we werent so they turned against us. it was very scary because i thought i was goi...

>> i could hear my fellow officer screaming, the agony in some of them. all i could think was we cant let these people in. theres going to be a slaughter inside. >> reporter: rioters beat sergeant gonell so badly they cut his hand and he needed foot surgery, while he depended off the attack outside officer byron evans locked down areas inside the capitol and evacuated senators. did you ever think this might be a life or death situation for you? >> i remember specifically thinking it when i was o...

An officer when we were officers, we worked together sometimes, capacity, what not. >> what you want to say to america? because there are a lot of people in america who believe we should move on from january 6. there should not be a commission. you can see the reports. you see the lawmakers on capitol hill thinking the same thing. what do you want the say, sergeant? >> what i want them to know is that could have been my family. and i saw myself the day i had decided to come forward. i moments i ...