Shocking photos show the moment rioters in Washington, DC, dragged a Metropolitan Police officer out of the US Capitol and threatened to kill him with his own gun while beating him.
Michael Fanone, 40, was on desk duty on Jan. 6 when he decided to join his fellow officers at the Capitol to control the rowdy mob, but what happened next, he says, was horrific.
The 20-year veteran was in a narrow hallway when he was pulled outside and slammed to the ground. The rioters then stripped him of his gear, ammo and badge, he recalled in an interview with CNN.
The images show the frantic officer surrounded and shoved by the throng of marauders, some of whom were recording the attack on their cellphones.
Michael Fanone was slammed to the ground and threatened during the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. REUTERS/Shannon StapletonFanone, who was also tased, remembered fearing for his life when he heard some of the rioters wanted to kill him with his own weapon.
“Some guys started getting ahold of my gun and they were screaming out, ‘Kill him with his own gun,’” Fanone told CNN, adding that some people stepped in to protect him until he was rescued.
