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Mike Fanone, a former D.C. police officer who served for over 20 years, was one of the law enforcement officers severely assaulted during the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. On that day, Fanone was dragged by rioters into the crowd, beaten, and shocked with a stun gun. He later suffered a heart attack and ultimately resigned from the Metropolitan Police Department due to the physical and emotional toll the event took on him.

 

In a legal proceeding that unfolded in 2023, one of his attackers, Daniel Rodriguez, pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the assault, including injuring an officer with a dangerous weapon. Rodriguez had been sentenced to serve 12 and a half years in prison. However, in a controversial move, former President Donald Trump, shortly after being sworn back into office, issued pardons to individuals involved in the January 6 riot, including Rodriguez and several other men who had been convicted for their violent actions against law enforcement officers like Fanone.

 

This move was part of Trump's broader strategy to fulfill a campaign promise to grant pardons to January 6 defendants. Trump declared that the people involved in the attack were “hostages” and moved to pardon around 1,500 individuals, many of whom had participated in the Capitol breach.

 

The pardons removed any legal restrictions, including protective orders that had been put in place for victims like Fanone. As a result, Fanone, who is still grappling with the aftermath of the violent assault, now feels deeply betrayed. He expressed his disbelief that he, as someone who had dedicated his life to serving and protecting his community, now finds himself needing to take legal action to protect his family from the very individuals who attacked him.

 

Fanone visited the Prince William County Courthouse to seek protective orders against the five men who were involved in his assault and have since been released from prison following their pardons. His move underscores his concerns for his personal safety and the safety of his family in the wake of the pardons.

 

Fanone spoke to the media, stating, “The fact that I have to do this, to try to afford my family some degree of protection, is outrageous. But we are in an age of government lawlessness.” He voiced his deep sense of betrayal, not only from the attackers but also from the very institutions he once trusted to protect him and his loved ones.

 

Fanone added that those like him, who find themselves in the crosshairs of figures like Donald Trump, can no longer depend on government institutions to keep them safe. He emphasized that the protections that were once afforded to public servants, including police officers, are now being undermined by political actions that disregard the sanctity of law and order.

 

As Fanone continues to seek justice and protection through the courts, the pardons issued by Trump have ignited widespread criticism and further polarized the discussion around accountability for the events of January 6, 2021.