On January 6, 2021, as rioters breached the United States Capitol building, Goodman, unaccompanied by other officers, confronted them. He has been cited for heroism in baiting and diverting the crowd away from the Senate chamber in the minutes before the chamber could be safely evacuated. As the crowd reached a landing from which there was an unimpeded path to the Senate chamber, Goodman pushed the lead person and then retreated away from the chamber.
One report described his actions as follows: "In short, he tricked them away, willingly becoming the rabbit to their wolf pack, pulling them away from the chambers where armed officers were waiting, avoiding tragedy and saving lives. Lives which include their own."
His actions have been credited with saving the lives of the Senators who, at the time, remained inside the chamber