Opinion | What I Saw on Jan. 6 Still Haunts Me

For those who didn’t experience the violence, Jan.6, 2021, might feel like it’s in the past — but it’s not for me.

I keep reliving the five horrific hours of that cold Wednesday afternoon, as I tried to protect elected officials, regardless of their political ideology, and their staffs inside the Capitol building — all without firing my gun.For my efforts doing my duty as a Capitol Police sergeant, I was beaten and struck by raging rioters all over my body with multiple weapons until I was covered in my own blood.My hand, foot and shoulder were wounded.

I thought I was going to die and never make it home to see my wife and young son.Over the last four years, it’s been devastating to me to hear Donald Trump repeat his promise to pardon insurrectionists on the first day he’s back in office.“It will be my great honor to pardon the peaceful protesters, or as I often call them, the hostages,” he said in a speech last year.

But all of us who were there and anyone who watched on TV know that those who stormed the Capitol were not peaceful protesters.Pardoning them would be an outrageous mistake, one that could mean about 800 convicted criminals will be back on the street.It could also put me in danger, as I’ve continued to testify in court and I’ve given victim statements in cases against dozens of the rioters who assaulted me and my fellow officers.I was one of the fortunate ones that day; nine people wound up dead as a result of the rampage.

Two protesters had fatal medical episodes, one rioter overdosed during the uproar and another was fatally shot by a policeman while forcing her way into the House Chamber.One of my colleagues, 42-year-old Officer Brian Sicknick, suffered two strokes after the trauma of fighting off multiple protesters who sprayed him with a chemical irritant.

He didn’t survive.Four D.C.

policemen harmed in the riots later died by suicide.My friend Harry Dunn, the first law enforcement member to prominently condemn the br...