As a mob of pro-Trump rioters attacked the Capitol on Wednesday, one man in a white hat and backpack grabbed a police officer by the helmet, dragging the officer down the stairs. Soon, other rioters kicked and punched the officer, and one man even bashed the prone figure repeatedly with a pole flying an American flag.
The shocking violence against an outnumbered officer is shown in a video first aired by CNN on Sunday and which swiftly went viral, garnering more than 1.6 million views on Twitter by early today.
The officer seen in the video, as well as in other photos and videos of the moment that later surfaced on social media, has not been officially identified. It’s also not clear the extent of the injuries the officer suffered in the attack. D.C. Metropolitan Police and U.S. Capitol Police did not immediately return a request for comment on the video late Sunday.
