Bipartisan legislation has been introduced that would award Black Capitol Police officer Eugene Goodman with a Congressional Gold Medal after his selfless actions during the January 6 domestic terrorist attack on Congress. 

The bill, led by Reps. Charlie Crist, Emanuel Cleaver II and Nancy Mace, will give Goodman one of the highest awards a civilian can receive in the United States, according to The Washington Post. 

“Thanks to his valor, we are here today. From the bottom of my heart, I cannot thank him enough for his bravery and for his dedication to the call of duty,” Mace said.

As Blavity previously reported, Goodman became immortalized thanks to the harrowing video shared by HuffPost reporter Igor Bobic. The video was initially seen as an example of the horror Black officers faced that day as they stared down an angry white supremacist mob eager to do harm to anyone, but especially people of color.

But as more analysis was done of the attack, many realized that Goodman was not running away, but instead using himself as bait to lure the mob of violent, heavily-armed Trump supporters away from the doors of the Senate.

Senators were still inside the Senate chambers — they would evacuate just two minutes later — but Goodman realized this and antagonized the leader of the pack, hoping they would continue to follow him. They came within a few feet of the Senate chamber doors, but Goodman quickly looked to his left and pushed the first rioter to make it up the steps, then lead them to another side of the building where there were more cops. 

"Last Wednesday, I was inside the Senate chamber when Officer Eugene Goodman led an angry mob away from it at great personal risk. His quick thinking and decisive action that day likely saved lives, and we owe him a debt of gratitude," Senator Bob Casey said in a statement on Twitter. 

The New York Times published a now-iconic photo of Goodman facing down the pro-Trump mob by himself, literally serving as the last line of defense between the rioters and members of Congress.

The FBI and Justice Department have now confirmed that the Trump supporters intended to take members of Congress hostage, and in a court filing, federal officials said some planned to kill members of Congress, according to Reuters. 

The cruel irony of the situation was not lost on many Black people, who noted the fact that a Black man used himself as bait for a white supremacist mob in order to save a group of Senators, some of whom were in the process of trying to throw out the votes of millions of Black Americans. 

“He’s a hero! The United States Capitol was under attack by armed, violent extremists, and Officer Eugene Goodman was the only thing standing between the mob and the United States Senate,” Crist said in a statement. 

The 40-year-old is a D.C. native and was in the United States Army from 2002 to 2006 as part of the 101st Airborne Division in Iraq. 

Eugene Goodman stood in the doorway that day. 

We see you, Eugene. https://t.co/MqnFJcgpAW

— 101st Airborne Div. (@101stAASLTDIV) January 13, 2021

So far, 177 Congressional Gold Medals have been awarded in the country's history, generally to soldiers but also to scientists like Thomas Edison, doctors like Jonas Salk and civil rights heroes like Rosa Parks. Two-thirds of both the House and Senate must vote in favor of it for it to be awarded. 

“If not for the quick, decisive, and heroic actions from Officer Goodman, the tragedy of last week’s insurrection could have multiplied in magnitude to levels never before seen in American history," Cleaver said in a statement. "With this prestigious award, we can show our gratitude to Officer Goodman for saving countless lives and defending our democracy.”

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