House impeachment managers on Wednesday produced never-before-seen security footage of the Capitol riot that took place on Jan. 6. One of the videos they introduced into evidence was Capitol Hill Officer Eugene Goodman rushing to divert Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) from walking directly into the riot.
Newly released security video shows a sprinting Ofc. Goodman directing Sen. Romney to turn around and run away from rioters on Jan. 6.
— NBC News (@NBCNews) February 10, 2021
Watch live on https://t.co/1BppRnwFfO, @peacockTV and your favorite streaming platform. pic.twitter.com/GvM0UaWLfs
Here's a closer look at Goodman sprinting by, telling Romney to turn around:
A zoomed-in shot of Officer Eugene Goodman directing Senator Mitt Romney to safety on Jan 6.
— Rex Chapman???? (@RexChapman) February 10, 2021
This is madness...pic.twitter.com/aRnkiOJI6M
According to MSNBC reporter Lindsay Wise, Romney was stiff yet intent on the video as it was being played.
Per @lindsaywise inside the chamber: “Romney didn’t move when they showed the video of Goodman directing him away from rioters. He has a mask on so hard to see his reaction, just blinking rapidly. But he was watching intently.”
— Haley Talbot (@haleytalbotnbc) February 10, 2021
After it was revealed that Goodman ushered to safety, Romney told reporters he's thankful to the heroic officer.
"No, I did not know that was Officer Goodman but I look forward to thanking him when I next see him...I was very fortunate indeed that Officer Goodman was there to get me in the right direction," Romney told reporters.
“Obviously very troubling to see the great violence that our Capitol Police and others are subjected to. It tears at your heart and brings tears to your eyes," the senator explained. "That was overwhelmingly distressing and emotional.”
This is the second video that has surfaced of the heroic officer. The first showed him being chased up the stairs after the Capitol was breached. He saw the Senate chamber was not being guarded on the left side of the building. He turned right as a way of deviating the mob away from the Senate.