By Barbara Miller and Brad Ryan, ABC
Former DC police officer Michael Fanone outside of Manhattan Criminal Court on May 28, 2024 in New York City. Photo: AFP / DAVID DEE DELGADO
A police officer who was beaten and repeatedly tasered in the 6 January insurrection says he's asked a court for protection after Donald Trump pardoned the rioters.
The returned US president has ordered the immediate release of everyone jailed over the 2021 attack on the Capitol, including members of far-right groups Proud Boys and Oath Keepers.
Bodycam footage showed Michael Fanone being dragged into the crowd by a rioter, where he was restrained as others bashed and repeatedly tasered him.
He later told a congressional committee he suffered a heart attack and traumatic brain injury. After he testified, he was threatened, he said.
"I didn't even make it through my entire testimony before I received the first threat," Fanone told the ABC.
Trump supporters clash with police and security forces as they try to storm the US Capitol building in Washington, DC on 6 January 2021. Photo: AFP
He said he feared the rioters who had attacked him, and were now being released, would come after him.
"There are no conditions of release," he said.
"These individuals are not prevented from making contact with me or members of my family, and I anticipate that they will.
"Not to mention the other hundreds of violent offenders released who see me as a spokesperson for accountability for those that committed crimes on 6 January."
Trump defended his decision at his first press conference as president.
"These people have already served years in prison and they've served them viciously," he said. "It's a disgusting prison, it's been horrible, it's inhumane."
The president's executive order gives full pardons to about 1500 people involved in the attack, which was an attempt by Trump's supporters to prevent the certification of Joe Biden as president.
About 14 other offenders had their sentences commuted, and all outstanding charges over the attack were dropped.
Craig Sicknick, whose police officer brother died of multiple strokes the day after he was attacked in the riot, called Trump "pure evil".
Pro-Trump supporters storm the US Capitol following a rally with President Donald Trump on 6 January, 2021 in Washington, DC. Photo: AFP/ Getty -Samuel Corum
"The man who killed my brother is now president," he told the Reuters news agency.
"My brother died in vain. Everything he did to try to protect the country, to protect the Capitol - why did he bother?"
Prison authorities said more than 200 of the inmates were freed on Tuesday, local time.
Republican congresswoman Lauren Boebert joined a crowd of supporters outside a Washington prison as they waited for more to be released.
Boebert said they should never have been jailed.
"I'll be the first member of Congress to offer them a guided tour of the Capitol," she said.
Fanone said he felt betrayed.
"I was a police officer on 6 January 2021, I heard distress calls coming from my fellow officers, I responded to the Capitol, and as a result, was assaulted and badly injured," he said.
"And now the American people chose Donald Trump to be their president after he promised to pardon these individuals - these violent, vicious criminals who attacked cops for doing nothing more than their job."
-This story was originally published by ABC
