The U.S. Capitol Police chief on Tuesday praised the officers who testified earlier in the day at the first hearing held by the House committee probing the Jan. 6 attack.
“I am proud of the officers who had the courage to share their stories in front of the House Select Committee and our entire committee and our entire country to describe the horrors and heroism on January 6,” Capitol Police chief Tom Manger said in a statement.
“I am equally proud of everyone in this Department and our partner agencies who fought like hell to preserve our democracy.”
The four officers who testified shared their harrowing experiences from the Capitol riot, telling members of the committee how the group of pro-Trump supporters attacked them, saying some of the attackers used racial epithets toward them. The officers also described the physical and emotional trauma that has persisted since January.
Manger, who was not the head of Capitol Police during the Jan. 6 riot, told CNN on Friday that he disagreed with former President Trump’s characterization that the rally before the deadly insurrection was a “lovefest” and a “beautiful thing.”