>>> MORE THAN SIX MONTHS AFTER
INSURRECTIONISTS STORMED THE
CAPITOL, THOSE WHO WERE THERE
ARE STILL RECOVERING FROM THE
HORRORS OF THAT DAY, IN
PARTICULAR, THE POLICE OFFICERS
WHO DEFENDED THE CAPITOL.
"THE NEW YORK TIMES" POINTS OUT
THE PERSONAL TRAUMA OF SOME
OFFICERS MIRRORS A BROADER
CRISIS WITHIN THE U.S. CAPITOL
POLICE WHICH IS BADLY DAMAGED,
DEMORALIZED AND DEPLETED SIX
MONTHS AFTER THUTACK.
WE GET MORE AND MORE FOOTAGE
SHOWING HOW VIOLENT THE
INSURRECTION WAS, HOW MUCH
VIOLENCE WAS DIRECTED DIRECTLY
AT POLICE OFFICERS.
THERE ARE CAPITOL POLICE
OFFICERS STILL GOING TO WORK
EVERY DAY.
MANY PEOPLE THEYRE PROTECTING
ARE OUTRIGHT SYMPATHETIC TO THE
MOB THAT ATTACKED THEM.
MICHAEL FANONE IS NOT A CAPITOL
POLICE OFFICER.
HES A MEMBER OF THE D.C.
METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
HES ONE OF A NUMBER OF OFFICERS
WHO WERE CALLED IN AS
RE-ENFORCEMENTS WHEN THE RIOTERS
REACHED THE CAPITOL.
FANONE IS STILL OUT ON MEDICAL
LEAVE AFTER BEING BRUTALLY
ATTACKED THAT DAY AND HES BEEN
SPENDING TIME ON CAPITOL HILL IN
A NEW ROLE OF SORTS TRYING TO
GET REPUBLICAN MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS TO STOP DOWNPLAYING AND
LYING UTWHAT HAPPENED ON JANUARY
6th.
YOU SEE MICHAEL FANONE JOINS ME
NOW.
GOOD TO HAVE YOU ON THE PROGRAM,
OFFICER.
I WANT TO JUST MAYBE START AND
ASK YOU HOW YOU ARE DOING
GENERALLY.
YOU KNOW, SIX MONTHS AFTER THIS
PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY, HOW YOURE
HOLDING UP.
>> WELL, IM DOING A HELL OF A
WHOLE LOT BETTER THAN I WAS SIX
MONTHS AGO.
YOU KNOW, I WENT THROUGH A
PRETTY DARK PERIOD, I WOULD SAY
IN MAYBE THE FIRST THREE OR FOUR
MONTHS IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE
JANUARY 6th INSURRECTION.
BUT I HAVE HAD A LOT OF HELP AND
SUPPORT.
AND GENERALLY SPEAKING, IM
DOING MUCH BETTER THAN I WAS.
>> YOU USED THE WORD
INSURRECTION, WHICH IT SELF, I
THINK, HAS BEEN CONTESTED BY A
LOT OF PEOPLE, INCLUDING MEMBERS
OF CONGRESS.
ON CAPITOL HILL AND IN HEARINGS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU HEAR
PEOPLE SAY IT WASNT AN
INSURRECTION?
>> I THINK ITS BULSHIT.
IM JUST A SIMPLE POLICE
OFFICER.
AND I LOOK AT THINGS, YOU KNOW,
I GO OFF OF SIMPLE DEFINITIONS.
THINGS LIKE VIOLENCE FOR
POLITICAL PURPOSES, WHICH IS
EXACTLY WHAT THE EVENT THAT
OCCURRED AT THE CAPITOL ON
JANUARY 6th WAS.
I WAS THERE.
I WITNESSED IT.
FIRST-HAND.
IT WAS A POLITICALLY MOTIVATED
VIOLENT EVENT, VIOLENT ATTACK ON
THE U.S. CAPITOL.
>> I HAVE BEEN WATCHING A LOT OF
FOOTAGE OF IT, AND I HAVE BEEN
WANTING TO ASK YOU THIS AND
OTHER OFFICERS THIS.
YOU KNOW, D.C. HAS A LOT OF
EXPERIENCE WITH CROWD CONTROL
AND A LOT OF EXPERIENCE WITH
PROTESTS.
I HAVE COVERED A TON OF
PROTESTS.
A TON OF MARCHES THAT HAVE BEEN
ON THE MALL OR IN THE CAPITOL.
AND THERES ALWAYS A MASSIVE
POLICE PRESENCE, AND A VERY KIND
OF PROACTIVE APPROACH TO IT.
TO KIND OF KEEP PEOPLE IN PLACE
AND MAKE SURE THAT, LIKE, THE
COPS HAVE THE KIND OF CONTROL
AND AUTHORITY, AND ITS SO
BIZARRE TO SEE THE COMPLETE
ABSENCE OF THAT ON THIS DAY.
HOW DO YOU THINK ABOUT HOW THAT
HAPPENED, WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT
RESPECT ON THAT DAY?
>> I MEAN, THIS IS WAY OUTSIDE
OF MY WHEELHOUSE.
DESPITE 20 YEARS OF LAW
ENFORCEMENT EXPERIENCE, YOU
KNOW, MY ROLE WITHIN THE
DEPARTMENT PRIMARILY INVOLVED
NARCOTICS AND VIOLENT CRIME
INVESTIGATIONS.
AS WELL AS FIREARM-RELATED
CRIMES.
I WORKED MOST OF MY CAREER
EITHER RUNNING NARCOTICS
INVESTIGATIONS OR WORKING AS AN
UNDERCOVER OFFICER MYSELF.
SO YEAH, I MEAN, I HAVE SEEN
THOSE TYPES OF EVENTS,
OBVIOUSLY, I HAVE BEEN A POLICE
OFFICER FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
AND I WOULD DESCRIBE THEM LIKE
AT THEIR WORST AS CONTROLLED
CHAOS.
THIS WAS JUST CHAOS.
I MEAN, IT WAS NOTHING LIKE I
HAD EVER EXPERIENCED.
AND MANY OF MY COWORKERS, AGAIN,
MANY OF WHOM SERVED MUCH LONGER
WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT THAN I
HAVE, NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING
LIKE THAT.
>> YOU HAVE BEEN TO CAPITOL HILL
TO LOBBY, TO SPEAK TO ELECTED
MEMBERS ABOUT SOME KIND OF
COMMISSION, INVESTIGATION.
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM THAT
EXPERIENCE?
ITS NOT SOMETHING I THINK YOU
HAVE PROBABLY EVER DONE BEFORE.
WHAT HAS BEEN SURPRISING TO YOU
OR WHAT -- HAS ANYTHING CHANGED
YOUR MIND ABOUT THE WAY AMERICAN
GOVERNMENT WORKS?
>> YEAH, I MEAN, I WAS ALWAYS
PRETTY APOLITICAL PERSON.
I SUPPORTED DONALD TRUMP IN
2016.
BUT PRIOR TO THAT, I HAD VOTED
FOR CANDIDATES ON BOTH SIDES OF
THE POLITICAL AISLE.
I DONT THINK ANY PARTICULAR
PARTY NECESSARILY REPRESENTS ME
COMPLETELY.
I GUESS IN THAT RESPECT, I WOULD
FALL MORE INTO A CATEGORY OF AN
INDEPENDENT.
HOWEVER, WHAT I HAVE LEARNED ON
CAPITOL HILL IS THAT WE HAVE A
LOT OF ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT
CARE MUCH MORE ABOUT THEIR OWN
POLITICAL FUTURE AND THEIR OWN
CAREERS THAN THEY DO ABOUT THE
AMERICANS THAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED
TO BE REPRESENTING.
>> WHAT -- WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN
TOLD WHEN YOU BRING THIS UP?
I MEAN, WHEN YOU SAY THEY CARE
MORE ABOUT THEIR POLITICAL
FUTURE, DO YOU THINK THAT
THEYRE LYING?
WHAT DO THEY SAY TO YOUR FACE
WHEN YOU LOOK THEM IN THE EYES
AND SAY, LIKE, THIS HAPPENED,
THIS HAPPENED TO ME, WE NEED TO
INVESTIGATE IT.
ITS NOT EVEN A POLITICAL THING.
>> I MEAN, YOU KNOW, ITS VERY
INCONVENIENT UNFORTUNATELY,
THATS THE REACTION THAT I GET
OR AT LEAST THOSE ARE MY
FEELINGS BASED ON THOSE PERSONAL
CONVERSATIONS.
I MEAN, I GET A LOT OF SYMPATHY
PRIVATELY AND THEN PUBLICLY,
THOSE SAME INDIVIDUALS CONTINUE
TO MAKE STATEMENTS EITHER
DOWNPLAYING OR DISMISSING THE
EVENTS OF JANUARY 6th.
SIMPLY BECAUSE AT LEAST IN MY
MIND, ITS NOT POLITICALLY
ADVANTAGEOUS, AND THE CONCERNS
ARE MORE ABOUT THE POLITICAL
SUCCESS OF THEIR PARTY IN 2022
OR 2024, RATHER THAN ADDRESSING
THIS, YOU KNOW, HORRIBLE EVENT
THAT WAS INSPIRED BY THE LEADER
OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AT THE
TIME.
>> I WANT TO PLAY YOU A LITTLE
BIT OF SAID LEADER JUST BECAUSE
IT IS FOR ALL OF US, I THINK,
SURREAL TO WATCH THE HISTORY
BEING REWRITTEN IN REAL TIME
WHEN WE ALL SAW IT, THERE WERE
CAMERAS THERE, BUT IT MUST BE
PARTICULARLY TRUE FOR YOU.
I WANT TO PLAY HIS
CHARACTERIZATION OF WHAT
HAPPENED THAT DAY AND GET YOU TO
RESPOND TO IT.
TAKE A LISTEN.
>> YOU HAVE PEOPLE WITH NO GUNS
THAT WALKED DOWN AND FRANKLY,
THE DOORS WERE OPEN AND THE
POLICE IN MANY CASES, YOU KNOW,
THEY HAVE HUNDREDS OF HOURS OF
TAPE.
AND THEYRE NOT RELEASING THE
TAPE.
THEY OUGHT TO RELEASE THE TAPE
TO SEE WHAT REALLY HAPPENED.
BUT THERE WAS ALSO A LOVE FEST
BETWEEN THE POLICE, THE CAPITOL
POLICE AND THE PEOPLE THAT
WALKED DOWN TO THE CAPITOL.
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT
LOVE FEST?
>> YEAH, I MEAN, AGAIN, THATS A
LIE.
YOU KNOW, DONALD TRUMPS
DESCRIPTION OF JANUARY 6th
PRETTY MUCH EVERY PORTION OF
THAT STATEMENT IS A LIE.
YOU KNOW, THAT WAS NOT WHAT I
EXPERIENCED.
WHAT I EXPERIENCED WAS, YOU
KNOW, INCREDIBLY BRUTAL
HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT, AGAIN, YOU
KNOW, JUST SPEAKING ABOUT MY
FIRST-HAND ACCOUNT.
WHILE I FOUGHT IN THE LOWER WEST
HARRIS TUNNEL, I WAS PULLED AWAY
FROM THE OTHER OFFICERS BY
MEMBERS OF THE CROWD.
I WAS BEATEN.
I WAS TASED NUMEROUS TIMES AT
THE BASE OF MY SKULL.
AND AS A RESULT OF THAT ASSAULT,
I SUSTAINED A HEART ATTACK,
TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY, AND NOW
SUFFER FROM PTSD.
THATS A REALITY.
THOSE ARE FACTS.
YOU KNOW, THE ASSAULT THAT
OCCURRED TO ME WAS DOCUMENTED,
MEMORIALIZED IN MY BODY-WORN
CAMERA FOOTAGE AND IN HUNDREDS
OF HOURS OF VIDEO FOOTAGE OF NOT
JUST MY ASSAULT BUT THE ASSAULT
OF OTHER OFFICERS.
SO AGAIN, IM NOT SURE WHAT
DONALD TRUMP IS REFERRING TO,
BUT IT CERTAINLY WASNT THE
EVENTS THAT DAY AT THE CAPITOL.
THAT
THATS A LIE.
>> YOU DONT WORK AT THE
CAPITOL.
YOURE NOT A CAPITOL POLICE
OFFICER.
BUT YOU HAVE BEEN TO THE
CAPITOL.
AND I JUST WONDER WHAT ITS
LIKE, A, TO GO BACK, AND HOW YOU
IMAGINE IT MUST BE TO BE GOING
THERE TO WORK EVERY DAY.
IF YOU HAD TO GO BACK TO WORK
THERE EVERY DAY, WHAT THAT WOULD
BE LIKE.
>> I HAVE NO IDEA, TO BE
COMPLETELY HONEST WITH YOU, HOW
THOSE OFFICERS CONTINUE TO SHOW
UP FOR WORK EVERY DAY OTHER THAN
THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY
SWORE AN OATH AND THATS WHAT
POLICE OFFICERS DO.
WE GO TO WORK DAY IN AND DAY
OUT.
BUT YOU KNOW, FOR ME, LIKE I
HAVE HAD A LOT OF INTERACTIONS
AFTER JANUARY 6th WITH HARRY
DUNN.
YOU KNOW, A HEL OF A GUY, AND
HES BEEN INCREDIBLY SUPPORTIVE
TO ME, AND I GIVE HIM, YOU KNOW,
ALL THE RESPECT IN THE WORLD.
GOING BACK UP THERE AND
CONTINUING TO DO HIS JOB AFTER
WHAT HE EXPERIENCED ON THE SIXTE
AND THEN ALSO TO HAVE TO PASS
THESE INDIVIDUALS IN THE HALLWAY
THAT GO ON TELEVISION AND TALK
ABOUT THAT DAY AS BEING ANOTHER