Grand jury upgrades charges for Trump supporter who chased Officer Goodman
Douglas Jensen is in custody and his next hearing will be in Washington on Feb. 23
The man caught on video leading a mob toward Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman is now facing more severe charges.
Douglas Jensen’s image went viral as he led a group of violent Donald Trump’s supporters in the Capitol on Jan. 6. Jensen of Iowa is now facing higher charges by a federal grand jury, per The Hill.
Jensen turned himself into the Des Moines Police Department on Jan. 8 because he felt he was in trouble. He is in custody and his next hearing will be in Washington on Feb. 23.
The now-viral video features Jensen in a QAnon T-shirt. The QAnon organization is an alleged far-right conspiracy theory organization.
Read More: Democratic congressman Bennie Thompson sues Trump over role in Capitol riot
Jensen wore the shirt and “intentionally positioned himself” to be among the first people inside the United States Capitol. “I wanted it to be seen on video so that ‘Q’ could ‘get the credit,’” he said during an interview recounted by the FBI.
During the interview, he specifically admitted to “chasing the Capitol Police officer up the stairs” and refusing to “obey the officer’s lawful orders.”
As recently reported by theGrio, Goodman’s bravery during the Capitol chaos has now resulted in him being honored with the Congressional Gold Medal, Congress’s highest civilian honor.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer introduced legislation to grant Officer Goodman the medal for his service during the attack on the Capitol.
“Here in this trial, we saw new video, powerful video showing calmness under pressure, his courage in the line of duty, his foresight in the midst of chaos, and his willingness to make himself a target of the mob’s rage so that others might reach safety,” Schumer said. “Officer Goodman, thank you.”
Goodman was present in the chamber when Schumer introduced the legislation and received a standing ovation from the Senate floor.
Read More: Pelosi says independent commission will examine Capitol riot
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi noted her intention to introduce similar legislation. She called the Capitol Police officers who died from injuries sustained in the riots “martyrs for our democracy.”
“That day, those men and women risked and gave their lives to save ours, becoming martyrs for our democracy,” Pelosi wrote in a “Dear Colleague” letter. “The outstanding heroism and patriotism of our heroes … demand our deepest appreciation.”
In her weekly press conference, per Politico, Pelosi vowed to put forth “a resolution introducing legislation to pay tribute to the Capitol Police and other law enforcement personnel who protected the Capitol by giving them a Congressional Gold Medal, the highest honor that Congress can bestow.”
At least 140 USCP and Metropolitan Police Department officers were injured during the Capitol riots. One officer died from his injuries, and two committed suicide in the days after the pro-Trump riots.
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!
TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today!
The post Grand jury upgrades charges for Trump supporter who chased Officer Goodman appeared first on TheGrio.