Aquilino Gonell
AUTHOR

Aquilino Gonell

United States Social Sciences Solider
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On January 6th, 2021, former Sgt. Aquilino Gonell of the Capitol Police faced down the insurrectionist mob that stormed the Capitol. For hours, wildly outmanned, he battled in hand-to-hand combat, sustaining blow after blow from chemicals, pipes, poles, and battering rams—all the while thinking this would be how he’d die. AMERICAN SHIELD: The Immigrant Sergeant Who Defended Democracy is the astonishing story of Sgt. Gonell’s life, from his emigration from the Dominican Republic as a kid who spoke no English, to his decision to join the US Army, his deployment to Iraq, to landing a coveted job with the Capitol Police—the call of duty that placed him on the frontlines of the battle for American democracy. The brutal injuries (physical, mental, and moral) Sgt. Gonell sustained on January 6 ended his career in law enforcement. But when some of the politicians he protected that day, and for years prior, downplayed or denied what happened, he chose to speak out. In the United States Army, he served honorably and had a decorated career rising to the rank of Staff Sergeant. President Biden recently awarded Sgt. Gonell the Presidential Citizenship Medal and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi awarded him the Congressional Gold Medal for the pivotal role and bravery displayed while defending the Capitol Building. He’s also the recipient of the Carnegie Immigrant Award, The Common Good American Spirit Award, Virginia University’s The Center for Politics’ Defender of Democracy Award. He’s been featured in The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, NPR, CBS Mornings, NBC News, Fox-TV, MSNBC, The Daily Beast, The Hill, Rolling Stone, Telemundo and Univision.
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