ReportWire

Officers who defended Capitol on Jan. 6 say their struggles linger

Written by

ReportWire

in

[ad_1]

That evening, after Gonell spent time with family and took his dog on a long walk, his phone started to blow up with calls. He had messages from federal prosecutors, FBI agents and the federal Bureau of Prisons — all letting him know that the new president had just pardoned about 1,500 people who had been convicted for their actions at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The pardons included rioters who had injured Gonell as he and other officers tried to protect the building.

This page requires Javascript.

Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

kAm“%96J E@=5 >6 E92E A6@A=6 x E6DE:7:65 282:?DE H6C6 36:?8 C6=62D65 7C@> AC:D@?[” v@?6== D2:5] “p?5 E@ 36 >:?57F=]”k^Am

kAmv@?6== H2D @?6 @7 E96 @77:46CD H9@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^42A:E@=C:@E3@@<6I46CAEECF>Abacah4`d6_d56d3`56bc76fhh32ghggaQm5676?565 E96 46?EC2= (6DE uC@?E 6?EC2?46 E@ E96 r2A:E@=k^2m E92E 52J 2D r@?8C6DD H2D 46CE:7J:?8 s6>@4C2E y@6 q:56?’D G:4E@CJ 2?5 9F?5C65D @7 %CF>A’D DFAA@CE6CD k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^4@?8C6DD4@?7:C>;@63:56?fg`_c262_gahhd335fc`a2e6e45`bg`gQm3C@<6 :?E@ E96 3F:=5:?8k^2m[ 649@:?8 9:D 72=D6 4=2:>D @7 2 DE@=6? 6=64E:@?] v@?6== H2D 5C28865 :?E@ E96 4C@H5 3J 9:D D9@F=56C DEC2AD 2D 96 EC:65 E@ 7:89E A6@A=6 @77] w6 2=>@DE DF77@42E65] x? 4@FCE[ 96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^42A:E@=C:@ED6?E6?46@?D3FE496C7`_e`a5hh54bf_2ecg7`_hdcf2cce`5eQmE6DE:7:65 23@FE :?;FC:6Dk^2m E@ 9:D D9@F=56C 2?5 7@@E E92E DE:== 3@E96C 9:> E@ E9:D 52J]k^Am

kAm“%96J 92G6 EC:65 E@ 6C2D6 H92E x 5:5” H:E9 E96 A2C5@?D 2?5 @E96C 2EE6>AED E@ A=2J 5@H? E96 G:@=6?E 2EE24<[ v@?6== D2:5] “x =@DE >J 42C66C[ >J 962=E9[ 2?5 x’G6 366? ECJ:?8 E@ 86E >J =:76 324<]”k^Am

kAmu:G6 J62CD D:?46 E96 D:686[ v@?6== 2?5 D@>6 @7 E96 @E96C A@=:46 @77:46CD H9@ 7@F89E @77 E96 C:@E6CD 2C6 DE:== 4@>:?8 E@ E6C>D H:E9 H92E 92AA6?65[ 6DA64:2==J 27E6C %CF>A H2D 564:D:G6=J 6=64E65 E@ 2 D64@?5 E6C> =2DE J62C 2?5 8C2?E65 E9@D6 A2C5@?D] %96:C DECF88=6 92D 366? 4@>A@F?565 3J DE2E6>6?ED 7C@> E96 #6AF3=:42? AC6D:56?E 2?5 D@>6 v~! =2H>2<6CD 😕 r@?8C6DD k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^4@?8C6DD;2?F2CJeC6AF3=:42?DG:@=6?46cgfa2bd_b7d73ga_32_52e_hd5bd44ffQm>:?:>:K:?8 E96 G:@=6?46k^2m E92E E96 @77:46CD 6?4@F?E6C65]k^Am

kAm“xE’D 366? 2 5:77:4F=E J62C[” D2:5 ~77:46C s2?:6= w@586D[ 2 |6EC@A@=:E2? !@=:46 s6A2CE>6?E @77:46C H9@ H2D 2=D@ :?;FC65 2D 96 7@F89E ?62C v@?6== 😕 2 EF??6= @? E96 (6DE uC@?E] w@586D H2D 2EE24<65 D6G6C2= E:>6D[ 4CFD965 3J E96 C:@E6CD 36EH66? 962GJ 5@@CD 2?5 362E6? 😕 E96 9625 2D 96 D4C62>65 7@C 96=A]k^Am

kAm“p =@E @7 E9:?8D 2C6 86EE:?8 H@CD6[” w@586D D2:5]k^Am

kAmp? 6G@=G:?8 ?2CC2E:G6k^Am

kAm|@C6 E92? `c_ A@=:46 @77:46CD H6C6 :?;FC65 5FC:?8 E96 7:89E:?8 @? y2?] e[ H9:49 EFC?65 :?4C62D:?8=J 3CFE2= 2D E96 9@FCD H@C6 @?]k^Am

kAmu@C>6C r2A:E@= !@=:46 r9:67 %9@>2D |2?86C E@@< @G6C E96 56A2CE>6?E D:I >@?E9D 27E6C E96 C:@E] w6 D2:5 😕 2 C646?E :?E6CG:6H E92E >2?J @7 9:D @77:46CD H6C6 2?8CJ H96? 96 7:CDE 2CC:G65[ ?@E @?=J 3642FD6 @7 :?;FC:6D E96J DF776C65 3FE 2=D@ “E96J C6D6?E65 E96 724E E92E E96J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^42A:E@=A@=:46C:@ED64FC:EJ72:=FC6Dbb_h4ce2h6_34a`4a3e7bagf2a6b3gb`Qm5:5?’E 92G6 E96 6BF:A>6?E E96J ?66565[ E96 EC2:?:?8 E96J ?66565k^2m ” E@ 562= H:E9 E96 F?6IA64E65=J G:@=6?E 4C@H5]k^Am

kAm$6G6C2= @77:46CD H9@ 7@F89E E96 C:@E6CD E@=5 %96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD E92E E96 92C56DE E9:?8 E@ 562= H:E9 92D 366? E96 677@CE 3J >2?J E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^42A:E@=C:@EA=2BF6ECF>AC6>:?56CD6C2D65A@=:4627e76ba5fa3be4gg_264_ebh32ha6gehQmA=2J 5@H? E96 G:@=6?46k^2m[ 56DA:E6 2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^AC@;64ED^;2?F2CJe42D6DQm>2DD:G6 EC@G6 @7 G:56@ 2?5 A9@E@8C2A9:4 6G:56?46k^2m 5@4F>6?E:?8 E96 42C?286]k^Am

kAm%CF>A 92D 42==65 E96 C:@E6CD 96 A2C5@?65[ :?4=F5:?8 E9@D6 H9@ H6C6 >@DE G:@=6?E E@H2C5 E96 A@=:46[ “A2EC:@ED” 2?5 “9@DE286D]” w6 42==65 E96:C 4@?G:4E:@?D 7@C 92C>:?8 E96 @77:46CD 2?5 3C62<:?8 :?E@ E96 3F:=5:?8 “2 8C2G6 ?2E:@?2= :?;FDE:46]”k^Am

kAm“x E9:?< E92E H2D HC@?8[” p52> tG6=2?5[ 2 7@C>6C s:DEC:4E @7 r@=F>3:2 A@=:46 @77:46C[ D2:5 @7 %CF>A’D A2C5@?D] x7 E96C6 H6C6 E@ 36 A2C5@?D[ tG6=2?5 D2:5[ %CF>A’D 25>:?:DEC2E:@? D9@F=5 92G6 C6G:6H65 6G6CJ 42D6]k^Am

kAm“x’G6 925 2 92C5 E:>6 AC@46DD:?8 E92E[” D2:5 tG6=2?5[ H9@ 7@F89E E96 C:@E6CD 2?5 96=A65 E@ AFD9 E96> @77 E96 r2A:E@= 8C@F?5D]k^Am

kAm%96 A2C5@?D “6C2D65 H92E =:EE=6 ;FDE:46 E96C6 H2D[” D2:5 7@C>6C r2A:E@= !@=:46 ~77:46C (:?DE@? !:?86@?[ H9@ H2D A2CE @7 E96 7@C46’D r:G:= s:DEFC32?46 &?:E @? y2?] e] w6 =67E E96 7@C46 D6G6C2= >@?E9D 27E6CH2C5]k^Am

kAmw@586D 2?5 v@?6== 92G6 366? DA62<:?8 @FE 23@FE E96:C 6IA6C:6?46D D:?46 yF=J a_a`[ H96? E96J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^;2?e42A:E@=C:@E962C:?82BF:=:?@8@?6==>:4926=72?@?6he75e6_f6`5af__c`fdfdgg_57a756ehQmE6DE:7:65k^2m 367@C6 E96 s6>@4C2E:4=65 w@FD6 4@>>:EE66 E92E :?G6DE:82E65 y2? e] $:?46 E96?[ E96J 92G6 C646:G65 DFAA@CE 3FE 2=D@ 324<=2D9]k^Am

kAmpE 2 #6AF3=:42?=65 $6?2E6 962C:?8 😕 ~4E@36C @? A@=:E:42= G:@=6?46[ w@586D E6DE:7:65 282:? 2D 2 H:E?6DD 42==65 3J s6>@4C2ED] p7E6C w@586D DA@<6 23@FE 9:D 6IA6C:6?46 @? y2?] e[ $6?] !6E6C (6=49[ s’E][ 2D<65 E96 @E96C H:E?6DD6D H96E96C E96J DFAA@CE65 %CF>A’D A2C5@?D @7 E96 C:@E6CD[ :?4=F5:?8 7@C E9@D6 H9@ :?;FC65 w@586D] %9C66 @7 E96 H:E?6DD6D[ 2== 42==65 3J #6AF3=:42?D[ C2:D65 E96:C 92?5D]k^Am

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

[ad_2]

By MARY CLARE JALONICK – Associated Press

Source link

More posts