Page 22 - Sergeant Gonell News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Peril. i will say that we will persevere, we will do what is right and our nation is truly ever grateful to you who held that line. your actions on january 6th could very well have been what saved our democracy and we thank you. mr. chair, i yield back. >> thank you. the gentleman from maryland asked a question in terms of what you would expect this committee to do in our body of work. sergeant gonell responded, but we didn't give the other three members an opportunity to kind of tell us based on the last 202

Again, most of the people that were there, they were telling us, they were telling me what their intentions were and that's why we held out the line at the lowest entrance that day in the tunnel. >> sergeant gonell what do republican lawmakers say to you or your colleagues when they see you face-to-face about the turn this has taken? >> i have not met any of them yet. i spoke out about a month ago right after they voted against the independent committee to find out or begin the process of try to find out what happened and what led to this. riot or insurrection. i have not spoken to anyone on

Some of them. all i could think was, we can't let these people in. there's going to be a slaughter inside. >> reporter: rioters beat sergeant gonell so badly, they cut his hand, and he needed foot surgery. while he fended 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 on the floor. i remember thinking all that stuff like, byron, this is the day. all those times you've given thought on what you would do, you're doing it. ...

Tell his wife he'd survived. >> i started testixting my wife and what i said to her, i'm okay. 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 covered in -- i was discovered in pepper spray. my hands were bleeding still, and i even -- i couldn't even sleep because i went and took a

I would do it again if i have to. it's my job. >> reporter: sergeant gonell led members of the department's civil disturbance unit. for hours they battled insurrectionists attacking the capitol. this video shows his fight on the west front. >> they kept saying, trump sent me. we won't 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 weren't. so they turned against us. it was very scary because i thought i was going to lose my life right there. >> reporter: some of the most horrific video shows sergeant gonell steps...