Sergeant Aquilino Gonell, U.S. Capitol Police Washington, DC
Photo credit: Gonell family
Sergeant Aquilino Gonell is an officer with the U.S. Capitol Police. On July 27, he testified before Congress about the events that took place on January 6 at the U.S. Capitol Building. In his emotional testimony before the House Select Committee, Sergeant Gonell joined three other officers in denouncing the attackers and detailing the violence they faced that day.
Sergeant Gonell immigrated from the Dominican Republic in 1992. He was the first in his family to graduate college, join the U.S. Army, and become a police officer. He has proudly taken the oath to defend and protect the Constitution of the United States several times throughout his life – first when he joined the U.S. Army, when he became a U.S. citizen, when he joined the Army Reserve, and most recently, when he was promoted to sergeant with the U.S. Capitol Police. He said on January 6, he fulfilled his commitment to the United States one more time by defending the U.S. Capitol and members of Congress.
Sergeant Gonell served in Iraq with the U.S. Army during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Even with the threat of bomb-filled roads, he volunteered to conduct supply missions for U.S. and allied forces and local Iraqi schools. On January 6, while on American soil, he said he was more afraid of the violence that took place at the Capitol than he ever felt while serving in Iraq.
Hours into the attack on the Capitol, Sergeant Gonell later learned that his wife and relatives were trying to desperately contact him, but it wasn’t until 4:26 p.m. that he had a chance to text his wife to let her know he was alive. He made it home at 4:00 a.m. the next day and only four hours later, at 8:00 a.m., he was already on his way back to the Capitol. He continued to work for 15 consecutive days until after the inauguration of President Joe Biden.
Sergeant Gonell sustained multiple injuries and was hit with so much chemical sprays that the liquid soaked through to his skin. Sergeant Gonell had right foot and left shoulder surgery and is recovering from his injuries today. He believes the investigation into the events that occurred at the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6 is essential to our democracy.