Watch police officer who defended Capitol from mob escort Kamala Harris to inauguration

Eugene Goodman, the U.S. Capitol Police officer who helped defend the building from a violent mob, has escorted Vice President-elect Kamala Harris up the steps of the Capitol to the inauguration ceremony.

Goodman has been hailed as a hero since he was captured in a now-viral video facing rioters in the Capitol building and leading the mob away from the unsecured Senate chamber.

In addition to escorting Harris, Goodman has been named acting deputy House sergeant at arms, CBS News reported. The title is given to the law enforcement officer responsible for maintaining order on the House of Representatives’ side of the Capitol complex.

Last week, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced legislation that would award Goodman the Congressional Gold Medal, one of the highest honors as U.S. civilian can receive.

President-elect Joe Biden and Harris will take their oaths of office at the West Front of the U.S. Capitol at noon EST, then Biden is expected to give his inaugural address. Harris will make history as the first Black person, the first South Asian-American person and first woman to hold the office of the vice president.

Before the Capitol attack, President Donald Trump spoke outside the White House at what he billed a “Save America Rally,” where he continued his false claims that the election was stolen from him and encouraged his supporters to march to the Capitol before a pro-Trump mob stormed the halls of Congress.

Security in Washington, D.C., has been increased after the Capitol siege. Thousands of National Guard members have been arriving every day in the district ahead of the inauguration, ABC News reported. The FBI and Secret Service have also boosted security, according to The New York Times.

Trump departed the White House for the last time in his presidency early Wednesday. He boarded Marine One and held a “sending off” ceremony at Joint Base Andrews before boarding Air Force One to fly to Palm Beach International Airport. Trump is the first president since Andrew Johnson in 1869 to skip his successor’s inauguration and will spend the final minutes of his term at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

This story was originally published January 20, 2021 at 11:20 AM with the headline "Watch police officer who defended Capitol from mob escort Kamala Harris to inauguration."