Rep. Allred: Capitol Officers' Sacrifice On Jan. 6 Allowed Me To Meet My Son

Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas) thanked U.S. Capitol police officers for their bravery on Jan. 6 during an event commemorating the anniversary of the insurrection.

“I had a 23-month-old son at home and a baby on the way. Had those officers not held that line, I would not have met my son,” Allred said.

Allred then praised the family of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who was injured while defending the Capitol from a pro-Donald Trump mob and died the next day.

“To the Sicknick family, your son’s sacrifice allowed me to meet mine,” Allred said. “My sadness has become resolve. I’m determined to do whatever I can to save our democracy ... for my children and our children’s children.”

Prior to the event, Allred tweeted about what Jan. 6, 2021, was like for him.

The former NFL player said he found out about the insurrection while on the House floor after receiving a number of disturbing texts from family and friends.

“An announcement was made that the Capitol was under attack, but that we were safe and should continue the proceedings,” Allred said. “Soon thereafter, security personnel swept into the Chamber and grabbed our top leadership and hurried them out.”

Allred then said as the events unfolded, he took off his suit jacket — a first for him while on the House floor — and prepared to protect his colleagues from impending danger, if needed.

Allred was just one member of Congress to share a testimonial about the insurrection during an event on Capitol Hill Thursday. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris also spoke from the Hill on the riot’s anniversary.

For more HuffPost coverage of Jan. 6, go here.