Five years ago, Sergeant Aquilino Gonell stood at the front lines to protect our democracy. On January 6, 2021, he endured over four hours of hand-to-hand combat at the U.S. Capitol. As a Capitol Police officer, U.S. Army Veteran, and proud immigrant, Sgt. Gonell helped shield lawmakers and staff from harm. His courage that day came at a steep personal cost.

The injuries Sgt. Gonell suffered—both physical and emotional—have deeply changed his life. He now lives with long-term damage and PTSD. He was forced to leave the job he loved and has struggled ever since to get the benefits he earned. Unable to work, he’s been left without the steady income his family once relied on.

Sgt. Gonell still needs our help. Your donation goes directly toward his medical care, daily living expenses, and continued recovery. He isn’t one to ask for help, but he is incredibly grateful for every bit of support.

Please donate and share to honor a hero who stood for all of us.

Looking back 5 years to Jan 6, 2021, Sgt. Gonell had these words to share:

"In the aftermath of January 6 and my congressional hearing, I tried to hold those who assaulted me accountable in court. I denounced the violence as I worked to recover physically, emotionally, and mentally, hoping to continue my career in law enforcement. Unfortunately, I was not able to fulfill my policeman duties. Those who assaulted me took away my career was well as my mental and physical health.

Financially, the past five years have been an enormous challenge. The same people who orchestrated or took part in the events of January 6 are now running the program intended to assist injured police officers like me. They downplay the violence and injuries that we suffered and have denied my claim several times. This has made it nearly impossible to support my family.

While my family and I struggle, those who assaulted me are described as heroes, been pardoned, and given a 5 million dollar settlement.

My friend, Maryland State Senator Cheryl Kagan, has been incredibly supportive. She helped create a GFM page last year. The funds raised helped me and my family to meet our financial obligations. Now that we're marking the five-year anniversary of that horrible attack on our U.S. Capitol, I am grateful to Cheryl and to everyone else who donated. I'm not sure where we would be financially without everyone's generosity."