Capitol Riot Cop Says He’s Leaving DC Police To Join CNN Because He Doesn’t Trust Fellow Officers

Washington, DC – A controversial DC police officer who was attacked by rioters on Jan. 6 announced on Monday that he was resigning from the police force and becoming a commentator on CNN because he no longer trusted his fellow officers.

DC Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Officer Michael Fanone was one of the officers who responded to the urgent request for help from U.S. Capitol Police on Jan. 6 when angry protesters stormed the Capitol building, The Washington Post reported.

“They were overthrowing the Capitol, the seat of democracy, and I f–king went,” Officer Fanone said.

He and many other DC and Capitol Police officers battled back the encroaching mob on the West Terrace of the Capitol for hours, unaware that the building had already been breached by rioters at a different entrance.

Rioters beat the officers with flag poles and their own batons and shields and sprayed bear mace in their faces, The Washington Post reported.

“We weren’t battling 50 or 60 rioters in this tunnel,” Officer Fanone told reporters. “We were battling 15,000 people. It looked like a medieval battle scene.”

He said a rioter grabbed him by the helmet and dragged him down the steps of the Capitol building.

The attack on Officer Fanone was captured on video and went viral, showing rioters beating the officer with flag police flying Thin Blue Line flags in support of law enforcement.

He was zapped with stun guns multiple times.

Officer Fanone suffered a mild heart attack in the middle of the chaos, The Washington Post reported.

The officer survived his harrowing ordeal and went on to become an outspoken advocate of prosecuting those responsible for the riot, including lawmakers.

But Officer Fanone’s brief popularity flagged after he repeatedly attacked supporters of President Donald Trump, whom he had voted for in 2016 but not in 2020.

He made countless media appearances – many of which had not been approved by DC police officials – and made headlines after he demanded to meet with GOP Congressional leadership to discuss the riot.

And then when he went with a group of officers who had been at the Capitol riot to testify before the Congressional committee that was investigating Jan. 6, he failed to hold his temper.

Officer Fanone did not show any respect to the lawmakers as he addressed the committee on July 27, NPR reported.

He complained he felt “like I went to hell and back” to protect some Republican lawmakers who have been “downplaying or outright denying what happened” on Jan. 6.

“The indifference shown to my colleagues is disgraceful!” the officer yelled at the committee members and pounded on the witness table during the hearing. “Nothing, truly nothing has prepared me to address those elected members of our government who continue to deny the events of that day. And in doing so betray their oath of office.”

Officer Fanone told The Washington Post that some of his public appearances didn’t go over well with his fellow officers on the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

He complained he was picked on in online police chat groups.

“Clearly there are some members of our department who feel their oath is to Donald Trump and not to the Constitution,” Officer Fanone said when he announced his resignation on Dec. 20.

The bitter officer said there are only two current DC cops he still considers friends, The Washington Post reported.

“I no longer felt like I could trust my fellow officers and decided it was time to make a change,” he told reporters.

Officer Fanone only returned to limited duty nine months after the riot in September, The Washington Post reported.

He complained that he wanted to go into training at the police academy but instead was assigned to the division that analyzes crime statistics.

The officer said he was disappointed he didn’t get to go to training and said he thought DC police commanders were trying to protect him from fellow officers who weren’t happy about his public behavior, The Washington Post reported.

Officer Fanone complained he felt “like a child who did something wrong and was being tolerated.”

He said his full police powers were restored in December and he got his gun back, which he felt sent a message to those were saying the department was forcing him out, The Washington Post reported.

The officer is leaving the department five years short of being eligible to retire, with almost 20 years on the police force.

CNN confirmed Officer Fanone would be joining the network as an on-air contributor on law enforcement issues, The Washington Post reported.

The officer said he had no regrets about the public statements he has made in the past year and said he viewed joining CNN “as a continuation of my service.”