Yesterday I sat down w a remarkable a Capitol Police officer who was in some of the most intense combat zones in the US Capitol on Jan 6.
He trusted us @NewsHour w his story, thoughts on where we are.
Here’s the full interview.
pbs.org/newshour/show/…
And here’s a thread.
He trusted us @NewsHour w his story, thoughts on where we are.
Here’s the full interview.
pbs.org/newshour/show/…
And here’s a thread.
Q: What happened that day?
USCP officer James Blassingame: That's something that I try to process and go through from time to time...
It was an insurrection. It was a significant amount of people that ... felt invading the Capitol to impose their will was an appropriate action.
USCP officer James Blassingame: That's something that I try to process and go through from time to time...
It was an insurrection. It was a significant amount of people that ... felt invading the Capitol to impose their will was an appropriate action.
Blassingame was supposed to be off Jan. 6, but like most of the force was told days ahead to come in to the Capitol.
He drove in at 5:15a and already saw people, protesters. Lots of them. He’d seen that kind of early crowd only 1x before: Obama’s first inauguration.
3/
He drove in at 5:15a and already saw people, protesters. Lots of them. He’d seen that kind of early crowd only 1x before: Obama’s first inauguration.
3/
Watching w a colleague - still just 7a - “we knew it was going to be something heavy because it's just abnormal to have, you know, that influx of people.”
His usual post is across the street, the Library of Congress.
But as things unraveled he ran to help inside the Capitol. 4/
His usual post is across the street, the Library of Congress.
But as things unraveled he ran to help inside the Capitol. 4/
He arrived in the center, the Crypt underneath the rotunda.
A door on the east side is closed with four officers trapped on the other side, rioters crushing all around them. He still sees it
“I’ll never forget it... there was nothing we could do. We couldn’t open that door.”
A door on the east side is closed with four officers trapped on the other side, rioters crushing all around them. He still sees it
“I’ll never forget it... there was nothing we could do. We couldn’t open that door.”
Go to 1:59 in the intvw to see video of where he was, describes.
pbs.org/newshour/show/…
“Just noise + people running at me as far as I can see ... there’s like maybe 8, 9 of us (police). And I’m thinking: shit.”
Note: Blassingame struck me as someone who doesn’t cuss a ton
pbs.org/newshour/show/…
“Just noise + people running at me as far as I can see ... there’s like maybe 8, 9 of us (police). And I’m thinking: shit.”
Note: Blassingame struck me as someone who doesn’t cuss a ton
“Somebody threw like a wooden stanchion and it hit the guy next to me and he just drops and somebody comes from behind and pulls him out. .... They're throwing I mean, anything that's not nailed down or stuff they have on them, they're throwing.”
6/
6/
Officer Blassingame to me:
“I'm 39... I've never been called a [N] to my face in 39 years, might have been called a [N], but I've never been called to my face. That streak ended on January 6. I was called [N], I was called traitor... I just want to make sure people understand”
“I'm 39... I've never been called a [N] to my face in 39 years, might have been called a [N], but I've never been called to my face. That streak ended on January 6. I was called [N], I was called traitor... I just want to make sure people understand”
“I've been in the dept. 17 years. I've never been in a situation where I felt I had to use my weapon... I was like, OK, this is it.”
But his mind tells him, “there's a chance to survive if I don't pull my weapon. But if I do, I'm probably not going to make it out of here alive.”
But his mind tells him, “there's a chance to survive if I don't pull my weapon. But if I do, I'm probably not going to make it out of here alive.”
I thought about what I knew - his head slammed into marble column at one point, he has back pain.
His lawsuit says he struggles - sleep, mental, emotional.
But when I asked, he stressed he’s doing better than a lot of others.
Wouldn’t really talk about his own pain.
10/
His lawsuit says he struggles - sleep, mental, emotional.
But when I asked, he stressed he’s doing better than a lot of others.
Wouldn’t really talk about his own pain.
10/
But he would talk about what he thinks of lawmakers, they are all Republican, who say Jan 6 wasn’t that bad. And who have blocked a Jan. 6 commission.
That is next part of this thread.
11/
That is next part of this thread.
11/
“As bad as it was, we did our job, no member of Congress was harmed. ... to have to see these people every day and they don't have our back; something as simple as just trying to find out what happened so that it doesn't happen again —my fear is this was the tip of the iceberg”
THIS. Ofc Blassingame: “You have a lot of people that are radicalized... there being no accountability, it's emboldening them. And I have to go to work tomorrow... We have families that we want to go home to see... and this rhetoric is it's putting us in harm's way.”
On specific GOP false narratives (rioters were like tourists, etc) about Jan 6:
“it's deplorable... as bad as it looks on film, believe me, (Jan. 6) was much worse.”
“it's deplorable... as bad as it looks on film, believe me, (Jan. 6) was much worse.”
Near the end of the interview, I asked him if he feels the Capitol is secure now.
He paused, one of the longer moments of silent thought I’ve experienced in a TV interview, and demurred.
“I don’t think I’m qualified to answer that.”
15/
He paused, one of the longer moments of silent thought I’ve experienced in a TV interview, and demurred.
“I don’t think I’m qualified to answer that.”
15/
I thanked him for protecting me & 1000 other people that day.
Walking him to the car, the straight-shooting & unfailingly polite Blassingame told me the firstTV interview in his life “wasn’t as painful” as he feared. Could have been worse.
I knew it was a big compliment.
Walking him to the car, the straight-shooting & unfailingly polite Blassingame told me the firstTV interview in his life “wasn’t as painful” as he feared. Could have been worse.
I knew it was a big compliment.
He’s one of those people with deep personal strength. (A world-traveling martial artist too.)
Here’s intvw link one more time.
pbs.org/newshour/show/…
Thanks to officer Blassingame and Pat Malone. We will keep following their lawsuit against Pres. Trump.
###
Here’s intvw link one more time.
pbs.org/newshour/show/…
Thanks to officer Blassingame and Pat Malone. We will keep following their lawsuit against Pres. Trump.
###
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