A video that is circulating on social media shows rioters crushing a Capitol Police officer between a doorway as he bleeds from his mouth and screams for help.
The pro-Trump mob can be heard shouting “heave ho” as they tried to push their way into the halls of Congress. The officer was, according to TMZ, helping to guard the entrance of the west side of the Capitol.
In the video, the officer screams for “help” and bellows in pain. In a longer video of the incident, which was taken by Status Coup, a rioter can be seen trying to rip away the officer’s riot helmet (the officer later appeared maskless). After the officer freed himself, he noted that he was OK. According to CNN, his current condition is unknown.
In the video, other officers can be seen using batons and pepper spray to try to keep the rioters back.
The video is just one of several featuring Capitol Police officers during the attack. Some videos have led to further criticism of the police as officers were caught taking selfies with rioters and opening barricades for them. Others, like this one, have led to praise for the police. “While we have seen videos of the Capitol Police running away, opening barriers and taking selfies, there is another side to the story. These Capitol Policemen, decked out in riot gear, are fighting to the death to keep the rioters out, one crushed in the doors,” one columnist said when sharing the video on Twitter.
One officer died Thursday night “due to injuries sustained while on-duty” during Wednesday’s attack. U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian D. Sicknick’s death is being investigated as a murder.
