Utah Sen. Mitt Romney thanked officer Eugene Goodman for directing him to safety during the Capitol riot on Jan. 6.
Chilling new videos released by House managers during Donald Trump’s impeachment trial showed Goodman running through the Ohio Clock Corridor outside the Senate chamber toward Romney and directing him to return to the chamber.
The senator said he was on his way to a workspace in the Capitol after being alerted that rioters were in the building when he was stopped and directed back to the Senate chamber by Goodman, The Hill reports.
“Officer Goodman came and saw me and they said ‘go back in.’ ‘It’s not safe here go back in and you’ll be safer in the chamber’ so I came back, and took my seat,” Romney said.
“I expressed my appreciation to him for coming to my aid and getting me back into the path of safety and express my appreciation for all that he did that day,” Romney told reporters on Wednesday.
The senator had no idea that he came that close to the mob on Jan. 6, who were searching for lawmakers and threatened to kill anyone they find.
Romney said Goodman told him he was exhausted from having to run around the building and was nauseated from breathing in teargas and bear spray.
“I just again told him how much I appreciated him, making sure that I was out of harm’s way,” Romney said.
Romney’s son Matt thanked Goodman for his “bravery and service,” in a tweet after the video was released.
