WASHINGTON — Mike Fanone, who became one of the faces of the Capitol Riot after he was brutally attacked by the mob January 6, tells WUSA9 he has resigned his position as an officer with the DC Metropolitan Police Department and is headed to CNN.
Fanone confirmed the news Monday in a series of text messages to WUSA9. Fanone says he will be serving as a law enforcement contributor for the cable news network.
CNN has yet to publicly confirm Fanone’s new position. The DC Police Department has yet to respond to a request for comment about Fanone’s departure.
Fanone seemed uncertain about his future when he sat down for an interview with WUSA9 in June.
When asked what he had decided about his future in policing, Fanone said “I don’t know. I’m not there yet.”
Fanone rose to national and international fame after his brutal assault defending the US Capitol went viral. Fanone was beaten, robbed and tased by rioters before a small group in the crowd intervened and handed his limp body back to his fellow officers.
After that attack Fanone became one of the most outspoken members of law enforcement who fought the mob that day, blaming Republicans for whitewashing what had happened and lobbying members of Congress to approve an independent commission to investigate the insurrection and the role of then-President Donald Trump.
"It's very, it's tough, you know, kind of reliving, like, the most traumatic experience of your entire life over and over and over again, to a lot of people who I think, really are devoid of compassion,” Fanone told WUSA9.
The bill to create that independent commission ultimately failed due to a lack of Republican support in the Senate. Fanone later joined other officers testifying in front of the House Select Committee to Investigate January 6.
After eight months on leave recovering, Fanone returned to duty with the DC Police Department in September. We now know, that decision was temporary.
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