"Heroes Live Forever" - the story of U.S. Capitol Police Officer Jacob "J.J." Chestnut and Det. John Gibson

In 1998, a mentally deranged man went to the U.S. Capitol and launched a cold-blooded attack, killing two police officers. The heroic officers were the first to lie in honor in the Capitol rotunda.

Detective John Gibson and Officer Jacob “J.J.” Chestnut

McLean, VA (November 18, 2025) - On July 24, 1998, a mentally deranged man drove from Montana to Washington, D.C. with death and destruction on his mind. He was carrying a .38 caliber revolver and thoughts clouded by delusion. At 3:40 p.m., he set off the metal detector at the Document Door on the East Front of the U.S. Capitol. When Capitol Police Officer Jacob “J.J.” Chestnut asked him to step back through, the crazed killer pulled his gun and shot the 58-year-old officer point-blank in the back of the head. The man then ran deeper into the Capitol. Det. John Gibson heard the gunfire. He was protecting the office of then-House Majority Whip Tom DeLay. He told staffers to hide under their desks. When the man burst through the office door, Det. Gibson confronted him. He was shot in the chest and mortally wounded, but he was able to return fire, striking the man multiple times and stopping the attack. A nation mourned for their heroic sacrifice, and Officer Chestnut and Det. Gibson became the first police officers to lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol rotunda.

Listen to the podcast to learn more: https://open.substack.com/pub/behindbadge/p/heroes-live-forever-the-story-of-219