One D.C. police officer is calling out a Republican congressman for refusing to shake his hand, labeling him a “coward.”
D.C. Metropolitan police officer Michael Fanone went to the U.S. Capitol to speak to the 21 House Republicans who voted against the Gold Medal resolution, a bill awarding Congressional Gold Medals to the police officers who responded to the attack on January 6, according to The Washington Post.
During an appearance on CNN, host Don Lemon played footage of Rep. Andrew S. Clyde’s (R-Ga.) comments on the insurrection.
“If you didn’t know the TV footage was a video from January the sixth, you would actually think it was a normal tourist visit,” Clyde said on Wednesday night.
When asked what happened when he introduced himself to Clyde, Fanone responded, “I greeted Congressman Clyde. I was very cordial. I extended my hand to shake his hand. He just stared at me. I asked him if he was going to shake my hand and he told me that he didn’t know who I was.”
He explained to Clyde he “suffered a traumatic brain injury as well as a heart attack after having been tased numerous times at the base of my skull, as well as being severely beaten.”
Watch the video below:
21 House Republicans voted against awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to police officers who defended the Capitol on January 6.
— CNN Tonight (@CNNTonight) June 17, 2021
DC Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone went to the Capitol to speak to them. He tells @donlemon what happened. Watch: pic.twitter.com/KVVOuHA3Hl
Fanone went on to tell Lemon, “At that point the congressman turned away from me, pulled out his cellphone. It looked like he was attempting to pull up like an audio recording app on his phone.”
He continued, “And again, like never acknowledged me at any point. As soon as the elevator doors opened, he ran as quickly as he could like a coward.”
Lemon asked Fanone, “What do you think of that?”
The police officer replied, “Obviously, I took that particular interaction like, very personally. But I also took it as a representation of Andrew Clyde giving the middle finger to myself and every other member of the Metropolitan Police Department and U.S. Capitol police that responded that day.”
Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) reacted to the exchange on Twitter.
“I just called Officer Fanone and confirmed this story. This is really incredible. Also relayed an interaction he had with another members Chief of Staff that was really incredibly bad and disrespectful,” Kinzinger tweeted on Wednesday.
I just called Officer Fanone and confirmed this story. This is really incredible. Also relayed an interaction he had with another members Chief of Staff that was really incredibly bad and disrespectful. https://t.co/fERYjK6dWg
— Adam Kinzinger (Slava Ukraini) 🇺🇸🇺🇦🇮🇱 (@AdamKinzinger) June 16, 2021
Fanone said during an appearance on CNN’s “New Day” he ran into James Braid, chief of staff for Rep. Matthew Rosendale (R-Mont.), and described the interaction as “tense.”
Watch his comments below:
“I’m going to confront anyone that lies” about Jan. 6, says DC police officer Michael Fanone.
— CNN This Morning with Kasie Hunt (@CNNThisMorning) June 17, 2021
“While these members are betraying their oath, thousands of … police officers were fulfilling their oath and continue to do so every day.” https://t.co/G0Yex2zofW pic.twitter.com/Q4Pt5vfOIR
He explained they “seemed to be unnerved at the presence of two police officers that served on January 6, defending that congressman, his staff. His chief of staff did not take kindly to our presence.”
More than 150 officers were injured in the insurrection. Eighty-six Capitol Police officers suffered injuries as well as 65 members of the Metropolitan Police Department.