Michael Fanone began his career as a Capitol policeman – then moved on to D.C.’s police force where he worked undercover for a decade. He knew protesters were in town for a so-called Stop the Steal rally on January 6th of 2021 when his partner called to say rioters had broken into the building and were attacking officers.
“Even though my shift didn’t start until 3 p.m. that day, I jumped in my truck and headed into work," he recalls. "For the first time in about ten years I was going to put on a uniform and respond to the Capitol.”
They made their way to a tunnel where police were attempting to hold back a crowd of rioters. The air was filled with tear gas, pepper spray and other chemicals, but they got to the front line to try and relieve fellow officers.
“I had no idea what I was getting myself into. It was a mob scene. You could not slide a credit card between two people. The rioters were wearing military-style protective equipment. Many of them had batons and shields that they had taken away from police officers. You know we were just using our body weight to try to repel the people attacking us.”
Then, he was grabbed and dragged into the crowd of rioters. His body camera recorded the attack. You can hear a rioter shouting, "I've got one," followed by screams as another man shot Fanone several times with a taser. He feared he might die.
“Losing control of my firearm, having it used against me or just being trampled and crushed to death, and so I yelled out that I have kids. That struck a nerve with some of the people in the crowd, and they started to try to offer assistance and protect me from other members of the crowd who were still continuing to beat me.”
They took him back to the police line where officers carried him to safety.
“Mike, it’s Jimmy. I’m here," said his partner. "Take his vest off. He’s having trouble breathing. Mike, I’m here for you buddy.”
Fanone would spend several days in the hospital where doctors found he had suffered a heart attack and a traumatic brain injury. Today, he feels he has recovered – physically, but he’s still furious with Republican politicians who downplayed the seriousness of what happened that day. He doesn’t know if he can stop them.
“I don’t have a clue whether or not Donald Trump will prevail and the MAGA forces will run our political theater for the next four years," he says, "but I know that I have to do something. That’s why I testified before Congress. That’s why I started doing media interviews was I felt that I had to educate people as to the reality of that day and try to hold politicians accountable when they lie about it. “
This week Fanone plans to speak with local and state leaders, reporters and students in Hampton Roads, Richmond, Charlottesville and Lynchburg.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
