Capitol Officer Eugene Goodman will throw ceremonial first pitch at Nationals game

Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman, lauded as a hero for protecting lawmakers in the Jan. 6 insurrection, will make the ceremonial first pitch for the Washington Nationals’ home game Friday evening.

Goodman will make his throw at 7:05 p.m. in the game against the New York Mets.

Capitol Police announced his pitch on Twitter and praised him for his valor in the Capitol riot where he diverted rioters away from the Senate chamber as lawmakers had gathered to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election.

“On January 6, he led a violent mob away from our elected leaders. Officer Goodman’s act of valor was just one of many our officers displayed. Good luck Eugene! We know you’ll nail it,” Capitol Police said on Twitter.

Footage of Goodman’s quick thinking surfaced on social media and awarded him widespread praise. One video released during the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump showed him leading Utah Sen. Mitt Romney away from rioters.

In February, the Senate voted unanimously to award Goodman, a U.S. Army veteran and native of D.C., the Congressional Gold Medal — one of the nation’s highest civilian honors.

“In the face of lawlessness, the officers of the U.S. Capitol lived out the fullest sense of their oaths,” Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said at the time. “If not for the quick thinking and bravery of Officer Eugene Goodman in particular, people in this chamber may not have escaped that day unharmed.”

For President Joe Biden’s inauguration, Goodman was made an honorary deputy sergeant at arms when he escorted Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, into the ceremony on Jan. 20.

The Army veteran and D.C. native was also quietly awarded the Distinguished Public Service Award by both the secretary and chief of staff of the Army for his valor.

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