This year marks five years since the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Many officers who held the line against rioters are still picking up the pieces of their lives and recalling the terror of that day—and how they were treated afterwards, during this week’s anniversary.

Sgt. Aquilino Gonell, who nearly suffocated while defending the West Front entrance of the Capitol building, got a gut punch when about 1,500 convicted rioters walked free via pardons—he testified against some who hurt him directly. 

“They told me that people I testified against were being released from prison,” Gonell said to ABC News. “And to be mindful.”

Gonell also shared how his life has dramatically changed since that day.

“They have tried to erase what I did,” Gonell said in the special report. “I lost my career, my health, and I’ve been trying to get my life back.”

He’s not alone. Officer Daniel Hodges, crushed between doors and beaten while screaming for help in a tunnel, calls this year tough with denial from politicians labeling attackers “patriots.” 

Public backlash hits hard—even friends and family question the brutality despite video proof, leaving him baffled by ideology’s pull.

Former Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger, arriving post-riot, found furious officers short on gear, training, and mental health support—he overhauled it all, making the building far safer now.

Over 140 officers were hurt during those brutal hours. Still, for these everyday heroes, the emotional grind—from PTSD to public doubt—shows the physical and emotional toll continues.

Though it was Adam Eveland—a former District of Columbia police officer, who also fought rioters that day—who shared a challenge that even those watching the events unfold on television have had to contend with.

“My biggest struggle through the years has been the public perception of it,” he said to ABC. Currently, there is no plaque to commemorate the lives lost and the many who were injured. It has also been called a “Day of Love” by some republicans.