The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest award from Congress. It expresses national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions by individuals or an institution.
The day was filled with drama as well, as late U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick’s mother refused to shake hands with two lawmakers, and Michael Fanone, a former police officer who responded to the riot and later resigned, was jeered when he was recognized.
During the riot on January 6, 2021, Fanone was knocked unconscious and suffered other injuries. He wasn’t required to be at work that day but responded to a call for backup, then, along with other officers, was attacked by the mob. Fanone was hospitalized for his injuries, including from a stun gun.
Fanone’s experience with his former co-workers on Tuesday was shared on Twitter.
“Members of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Special Operations Division heckled former Officer Mike Fanone at the Congressional Gold Medal ceremony, Fanone tells me,” NBC News reporter Ryan Reilly tweeted.
Fanone’s old co-workers also called him a disgrace and criticized him because he “was not a cop anymore.” Fanone told Reilly that they said he didn’t belong at the ceremony.
Fanone told Washington Post reporter Peter Hermann that he has been criticized since he started speaking out about the riot. He told Hermann that he doesn’t bring his family to ceremonies where he is honored so as not to subject them to what he experiences.
After the exchange was posted publicly, a former counterintelligence officer for the FBI, Frank Figliuzzi, slammed the other police officers during an interview with MSNBC.
“This is the real disgrace,” Figliuzzi said. “The issue is the culture that still continues at the police department in the District of Columbia. These were true heroes honored for fighting for democracy.
“If the special operations division don’t understand what a hero is, don’t understand what it means to fight for democracy, they need to find another job. They can start with the donut shop that they hang out at every single morning. And they can apply for jobs there.”
