NEW YORK – They did not stand up to the humiliations and insults they suffered on January 6: when, together with the other policemen on guard on Capitol Hill, they tried to defend Congress from the onslaught of supporters of Donald Trump who tried to block the certification of the victory of Joe Biden in the White House, instigated by the then outgoing president. Four of those agents have now committed suicide. The first had been Jeffrey Smith, 35 years old, took his own life a month after that sad day, without ever revealing even to his wife what he had really suffered (the images taken by his bodycam have never been released: but some photos show him surrounded by the crowd as he is being torn from him the gas mask and is attacked with a heavy metal object).
Attack on the US Congress, the police apologize
by our correspondent Anna Lombardi
He had then followed him Howard Liebengood, 51, just a few days later. It seemed over. On the other hand, on 10 July a third agent was also present that day, Kyle DeFreytag, Just 26 years old, he killed himself. But the news of his death was given only today, after Thursday the news of the discovery of the body of another colleague had circulated: Gunther Hashida, 43, father of three, committed suicide at home with a service pistol. Four deaths that must be added to the five victims of that tragic day: agent Brian Sicknick, who collapsed during the attack. And four assailants: Ashli Babbitt, killed by a policeman with a blow to the chest. And then Kevin Greeson, Benjamin Phillips e Rosanne Boyland.
One more reason to clarify, as requested by the speaker of the Chamber Nancy Pelosi to the commission whose work began on July 27 last. On that occasion, four policemen deployed on the front line shocked public opinion by telling what they suffered. “I was more afraid that day of Americans like me than when I was on a mission in Iraq” said the sergeant in tears. Aquilino Gonell, former army veteran then entered the body that guarantees the security of Congress, evoking how the crowd smashed his hand by beating him with flagpoles, after having stunned him with pepper spray: “I thought ‘here, I will die today trying to protect the ‘access to the building’ “. And colleague Daniel Hodges: “It was a medieval-style hand-to-hand battle. They crushed me against a glass door, trying to tear off my gas mask. One of them tried to poke out my eye by pushing his thumb against my pupil. I screamed in pain and no one had pity. ” On the contrary. Those he always calls “terrorists” yelled at him “you’re a white man and you’re on the wrong side, we’ll kill you”.
Usa, videos of the assault on Congress that shocked Republicans
by Alberto Flores D’Arcais
The African-American agent hadn’t held back the tears either Harry Dunn: “I had never been insulted like that while I was wearing the uniform: they told me ‘nigger of shit’. Others urged to kill me: ‘He is not a real American'”. Except then raise your head: “Democracy was stronger than them. They tried to overthrow it but they failed.” Michael Fanone he was the most angry: “Some demonstrators had pro-police blue flags. Yet they dragged me into their midst, unarmed, beat me. Screaming ‘let’s kill him with his gun'”. Up to slam his fist on the witness stand: “There are still those who say that things weren’t so serious. The indifference we have suffered is shameful.” The indifference that has already led four men in uniform to take their own lives.
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