Officer in MAGA Cap At Capitol Claims He Wore It To Rescue Endangered Colleagues

One of the most shocking images from the riot at the U.S. Capitol was the image of a police officer wearing a red “Make America Great Again” cap as he led throngs of pro-Trump rioters into the building.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Lt. Tarik Khalid Johnson reportedly told his colleagues that the images weren’t what they seemed to be. Johnson- who is black-claims he donned the MAGA cap as a ruse. It was apart of a cunning plan to rescue more than a dozen other officers who were trapped during the riot.

Johnson even provided a witness that said the lieutenant’s action enabled a set of doors to the Capitol to be closed, shutting off an entry point to more intruders.

Johnson voted as a registered Democrat in the Maryland primary last year. His colleagues say he wasn’t known to be a Trump supporter, and some were surprised when the picture of him wearing the pro-Trump slogan was circulated.

Lt. Johnson told co-workers that he put on the cap to win the trust of a handful of the protesters. Video footage recorded on an iPhone 12 showed Lt. Johnson recruiting a handful of rioters to help him free about 16 officers from the violent mob. Still, the video doesn’t show when or how he put ended up wearing the cap.