Capitol Police officer Eugene Goodman escorts Kamala Harris to inauguration

Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman, who gained recognition for luring a pro-Trump mob away from lawmakers at the deadly Jan. 6 riot, escorted Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as she and President-elect Joe Biden arrived for their inauguration ceremony.

Goodman was spotted greeting Biden and Harris when they arrived at the Capitol on Wednesday. He later led Harris toward the inaugural area. Both CBS News and CNN reported that Goodman was escorting Harris in his new role as acting deputy House sergeant-at-arms.

They’re here! Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Kamala Harris, and Doug Emhoff have arrived to be inaugurated pic.twitter.com/fLTr6rVJej

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) January 20, 2021

And there is Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman, escorting VP-elect @KamalaHarris pic.twitter.com/AHOf3bKCve

— Phil Mattingly (@Phil_Mattingly) January 20, 2021

Eugene Goodman, the Capitol police officer who prevented rioters from entering the Senate chamber on Jan. 6, escorts Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on #InaugurationDay. pic.twitter.com/bsWEwK6v36

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) January 20, 2021

Resounding applause for the entrance of Eugene Goodman, the Capitol Police officer who led rioters away from the Senate chamber during the Capitol assault two weeks ago. He is escorting Vice Pres.-elect Kamala Harris at the inaugural ceremony. https://t.co/uHC59FCV2w pic.twitter.com/WHiF1wc0cN

— ABC News (@ABC) January 20, 2021

Goodman received widespread praise following his role in protecting lawmakers as pro-Trump rioters violently entered the Capitol earlier this month. 

Viral social media footage from the Jan. 6 incident shows Goodman being chased by rioters as he heads to the second floor of the Senate side of the Capitol building. 

The video then shows Goodman looking through an empty doorway once he reaches the top of the stairs. The doorway led to an immediate entrance to the Senate floor where most senators, staff and roughly a dozen journalists were sheltering in place. 

Goodman — after briefly placing himself between the doorway and a rioter at the front of the group — then lured the mob away from the immediate entrance to the Senate chamber and to a back corridor, where additional law enforcement confronted the swarm of rioters.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers last week introduced a bill to award Goodman the Congressional Gold Medal for his role in protecting lawmakers against the mob. 

Reps. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) and Charlie Crist (D-Fla.) introduced the measure, with Crist writing in a statement that Goodman was a “hero” and deserved to be honored as such. 

“While some will remember last Wednesday for the very worst in our country, the patriotism and heroics of Officer Eugene Goodman renew my faith and remind us all what truly makes the United States great,” Crist said at the time. 

Five people died amid the chaos at the Capitol, including Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who died after sustaining injuries responding to the mob, as well as a woman shot by a plainclothes officer. 

Dozens of arrests have been made, and the FBI said it has opened more than 170 cases in connection with the riot.