Lindsey Graham told Capitol Police Officer that he should have used lethal force to contain 1/6 rioters
The Washington DC Police officer who nearly died defending the Capitol building from supporters of then President Donald Trump on Jan. 6, 2021 and as a result suffered burns, a heart attack, traumatic brain injuries has now been the recipient of scorn and mockery from Trump and his MAGA cult.
Michael Fanone got an electrical shock on his neck and was beaten with a flagpole by Trump loving rioters during that attack and has since resigned as a police officer, criticizing those he belives are trying to “whitewash” the events of 1/6/21.
Now, according to new reports, it has been revealed that Fanone recorded his conversations with lawmakers in the weeks and months that followed and has detailed them in his new memoir, “Hold the Line: The Insurrection and One Cop’s Battle for America’s Soul,” released on Tuesday, October 11.
One such recording was taken during a meeting with Senator Lindsey Graham (R. SC). In it, Fanone described the attack that officers faced, and says that Graham responded: “You guys should have shot them all in the head.”
Trump Supporters storm the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 via Flickr / Tyler Merbler https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
Fanone also described his meetings with lawmakers after the riots in a recent segment on “CBS Mornings:”
“I was there that day with Gladys Sicknick, who’s the mother of officer Brian Sicknick, who lost his life as a result of his work on January 6, and also [Capitol Police Officer] Harry Dunn was with me. And we were there advocating for a bipartisan commission to investigate the cause of January 6. And so, we were meeting with a bunch of senators trying to sway their vote, primarily I think it was all Republican senators. And Lindsey Graham happened to be present at this one meeting, and during that meeting – I don’t know if he was trying to be funny or what – but he did kind of fly off the handle and say that he gave us guns, and that we should have shot all these protesters in the head.”
Lindsey Graham via Flickr / Gage Skidmore https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/
When co-host Gayle King asked “What did you think when he said that?” Fanone continued:
“I told him I appreciated his enthusiasm. But you know, there are very specific guidelines that dictate law enforcement’s use of force. And you know, while we are authorized to use deadly force in some very narrow set of circumstances, they would not have been practical in that type of an environment when there are so many people condensed in such a small space. There would have been individuals who would have been just caught in the crossfire and killed without justification.
Fanone concluded:
“But it also speaks to a greater misunderstanding of policing and police policies – you know, our politicians are here to facilitate constructive conversations about law enforcement with law enforcement and members of the community, and when you have a sitting U.S. senator who doesn’t even understand basic police policy, that’s a problem.”
