The hearing featured testimony from four law enforcement officers who were present at the Capitol that day as a mob of then-President Donald Trump’s supporters breached the building.
The officers each spoke of the violence and fear they experienced as they attempted to defend the building from descending crowds. One officer, Sgt. Aquilino Gonell recalled rioters attacking law enforcement with “any items they could get their hands on,” such as flagpoles, tasers, rocks and pepper spray.
Michael Fanone, an officer from the DC Metropolitan Police Department, said that he was beaten unconscious by the crowds and suffered a heart attack, a traumatic brain injury and concussion from the injuries they caused.
Harry Dunn of the U.S. Capitol Police force said that as a Black man trying to quell the crowd, he had to contend with additional assault of racial slurs the crowd yelled at him. In contrast, Daniel Hodges, a white officer from the DC Metropolitan Police Department, said that some of the mob attempted to recruit him, saying “you’re on the wrong team.”
Seven Democrats are serving on the committee, including California representatives Pete Aguilar, Zoe Lofgren and Adam Schiff, as well as Virginia Rep. Elaine Luria, Florida Rep. Stephanie Murphy and Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin.
Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi is chairing the committee. Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney and Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger, both Republicans, are also serving on the commission.
Despite some other Republican lawmakers criticizing their involvement in the commission, Cheney and Kinzinger both used their positions on the panel to stress the need for the truth and a bipartisan investigation into the insurrection.
“In serving on this Committee, I am here to investigate January 6th–not in spite of my membership in the Republican Party, but because of it–not to win a political fight, but to learn the facts,” Kinzinger said at the hearing.
The hearing began at 9:30 a.m. (EDT) and wrapped around 1 p.m. Thompson and Cheney gave opening statements, but all members of the panel were given the opportunity to question the officers.
In a press conference after the hearing, Thompson said that the panel hasn’t yet scheduled additional hearings, but planned to discuss next steps over the next few days.
The live updates for this event have ended.
Hodges read from U.S. Code Title 18, which defines domestic terrorism as involving “violent acts or acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State.” The actions must “appear to be intended” to “intimidate or coerce a civilian population,” “influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion” or “affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping.”
Hodges stated that he believes the intention of the rioters was to influence the certification of the 2020 presidential election and possibly harm members of Congress, which aligns with the stipulations of the code.
Hodges ended up being crushed in the frame from the force of the crowd, and a video played by Murphy of this moment showed the officer screaming in pain.
Despite severely outnumbering law enforcement, Murphy said that the reason rioters weren’t able to successfully harm members of Congress was because of officers like Hodges who didn’t allow them to “encounter any members of Congress.”
A speaker thrown at Gonell landed on his foot, which caused him to sustain injuries that warranted surgery and continuing rehabilitation.
Additionally, Daniel Hodges of the DC Metropolitan Police Department said that he wasn’t sure how many of the rioters had guns. For that reason, he held back on shooting his own gun in case it triggered the mob, which he approximated to be around 9,000, to begin shooting theirs.
“If that turned into a firefight we would have lost, and this wasn’t a fight we could afford to lose,” Hodges said.
He condemned the riots, and expressed his strong gratitude for the work of the officers in holding back the crowds.
Like Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, the only other Republic chosen to serve on the Jan. 6 commission, Kinzinger stressed the importance of a bipartisan investigation into the insurrection and the necessity to “call out the facts” about that day.
He added that he joined the committee not in spite of being a Republican, but because he’s a Republican.
Dunn said that he’d dealt with hundreds of protestors before and authorities were expecting some “civil disobedience,” such as name calling and “unfriendly people.” However, they didn’t anticipate anything to the caliber of what occurred.
Some rioters were dressed like members of a militia group, wearing tactical vests, body armor and cargo pants. He recalled that one said “President Trump invited us here.”
“As if political affiliation is how we determine when to use force,” Hodges said
Hodges repeatedly referred to the rioters as “terrorists” and said some were carrying “Christian flags” and wearing Q-Anon hoodies.
Hodges said that some rioters attempted to build rapport with him and other officers to get their aid in overtaking the Capitol, and some shouted “you’re on the wrong team.”
Others beat Hodges and sprayed him with pepper spray. One rioter attempted to gouge out his eye, and he had to wrestle a man who attempted to steal his baton.
They stripped away some of his equipment and attempted to take his gun, some egging others to “kill him with his own gun.” While they weren’t able to get his gun, they electrocuted him “again and again and again with a taser.”
Fanone was beaten unconscious and suffered a heart attack and traumatic brain injury. He was also diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder.
At one point during the riot, Gonell fell to the ground on top of a dropped shield and a rioter began trying to drag him into the crowd. His “survivalist instincts kicked in” and he tried calling other officers for help, but “they could not help me because they were also being attacked,” he said.
Gonell had to receive surgery on his foot due to injuries from the insurrection and needs further rehabilitation treatment.
The officer was also visibly distressed and in tears while recounting his experience that day, stating that he didn’t recognize his fellow citizens who called him a “traitor” and said he should be “executed.”
Aquilino said he needed surgery after rioters beat him with a flagpole. He was also sprayed by chemicals from the mob.
“The physical violence we experienced was horrific and devastating,” he said.
She also stated that no member of Congress should attempt to “defend the indefensible.”
The footage also revealed that rioters had erected gallows outside of the Capitol building.
Thompson called the footage “chilling” and stated that the rioters came “dangerously close” to succeeding in their efforts to “upend American democracy.”
“You know, this is absolutely not a game. This is deadly serious. There are some in my party, including Leader McCarthy, who continue to act as though this is about partisan politics. I think it’s really sad. I think it’s a disgrace,” Cheney said.
Cheney has taken heat from other GOP lawmakers for her role in the committee, some even dubbing her a “Pelosi Republican.”
“I am a conservative Republican. I always have been, and I think that this is certainly not the time for name-calling.
This is also the first time they will speak of their experience under oath, recounting the day a mob of former President Donald Trump’s supporters overwhelmed the Capitol, Politico reported.
They will appear in front of the committee dressed in their uniforms.
