U.S. Capitol cops and DC Metropolitan Police officers called rioters 'terrorists', attacked Republicans who have downplayed January 6 and recalled the 'medieval battle' they faced during the first hearing of the select committee on Tuesday.
Officers Harry Dunn, Aquilino Gonell, Michael Fanone and Daniel Hodges gave harrowing testimony to the panel of seven Democrats and two Republicans - Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger - describing how they feared the rioters would kill them and criticized the treatment of their colleagues.
They also told the panel how they were confronted by people waving MAGA flags, Trump supporters saying President Biden didn't win the election, and others racially abusing them.
Dunn said he was called the n-word more than a dozen times and one rioter said: 'This n***er voted for Biden.'
Officer Hodges said: 'To my perpetual confusion, I saw the thin blue line flag, the symbol of support for law enforcement, more than once being carried by the terrorists as they ignored our demands and continued to assault us.'
In his testimony, Gonell recounted how the 'rioters call me traitor.'
(From left to right) Officers Aquilino Gonell, Michael Fanone, Daniel Hodges and Harry Dunn gave emotional testimony to the panel of seven Democrats and two Republicans - Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger - describing how they feared the rioters would kill them and criticized the treatment of their colleagues
In his testimony, Gonell recounted how the 'rioters call me traitor.' 'The rioters were vicious and relentless. We found ourselves in a violent battle,' he said of that day.
GOP Rep Adam Kinzinger hugs Gonnell before the start of the hearing
'The rioters were vicious and relentless. We found ourselves in a violent battle,' he said of that day.
He described his experience 'like something from a medieval battle. We fought hand to hand, inch by inch, to prevent an invasion of the Capitol by the mob intend on subverting our democracy.'
Most of the officers grew emotional watching the footage from January 6th. At one point, Fanone got up to offer comfort to Gonell.
Fanone, who suffered a heart attack from his injuries on January 6th, recounted how he was repeatedly tasered and threatened with his own gun by the rioters.
'I was aware enough to recognize I was at risk of being stripped of and killed with my own firearm. I was electrocuted, again and again and again with a taser,' he said.
He recounted how he and his fellow officers held the line in one of the underground tunnels that lead from the Capitol to the lawmakers' personal office buildings, holding back the mob so they could not break through.
