Capitol Police officer says officers worry that Jan. 6 could become an ‘every four year thing’

A U.S. Capitol Police officer said he and other officers were concerned the attack that occurred during the certification of presidential election results on Jan. 6 may become an incident that repeats every four years. 

“A lot of the officers have in mind the possibility of this being a recurring annual or every four year thing, which is why officers like myself are being outspoken about it, because we don’t want to go through this again,” U.S. Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell said, according to NPR.

Almost one year after the Capitol riots, Gonell still suffers physical and mental injuries from the attack, the outlet reported. He is unable to fully raise his left arm and is still experiencing psychological pain, as is his family, he said.

“They see me cry. They cry with me. They see me in pain. And they also cry because they can’t do anything for me other than try to make me feel a little bit better,” Gonell told NPR. “This whole year has been horrific.”

Since the attacks, hundreds of people who participated in the attack on the Capitol have faced charges in court for their actions on Jan. 6.

But Gonell said the consequences are not enough. 

“Their jail time is less than my recovery time,” Gonell told NPR. “The charges they’re getting do not compare to the mental and physical injuries some of the police officers, including myself, got.”

A recent poll from the University of Massachusetts Amherst showed that only 29 percent of Republicans supported federal efforts to arrest and try people accused of participating in the attacks. 

Meanwhile, 86 percent of Democrats supported the efforts.