A North Carolina protester and three Capitol Police officers sustained injuries during a physical confrontation at a Senate Armed Services hearing on Wednesday. Brian C. McGinnis was arrested on multiple charges after disrupting the hearing and resisting removal from the room.
WASHINGTON — Four people required medical attention following a violent altercation in a Senate office building Wednesday when a demonstrator fought back against law enforcement officers attempting to remove him from a committee hearing.
Brian C. McGinnis from North Carolina now faces six criminal charges, including three counts each of assaulting police officers and resisting arrest plus unlawful demonstration, according to Capitol Police officials.
“This afternoon, an unruly man who started to illegally protest during a hearing put everyone in a dangerous position by violently resisting and fighting our officer’s attempts to remove him from the room,” Capitol Police said in a statement.
Video footage captured McGinnis rising from his seat and beginning to yell during the Senate Armed Services committee session, with law enforcement immediately moving to escort him out. His outburst focused on U.S. military involvement in Iran, as he called out, “America does not want to send its sons and daughters to war for Israel!”
As officers attempted to escort McGinnis to the exit, he fought against their efforts and clung to a doorframe. Republican Senator Tim Sheehy of Montana, an Armed Services committee member and former Navy SEAL, rushed to help by pulling the demonstrator’s arm away from the door while other protesters claimed McGinnis’ hand was trapped.
According to Capitol Police, McGinnis “got his own arm stuck in a door to resist our officers and force his way back into the hearing room,” and received treatment for resulting injuries.
Senator Sheehy later posted on social media that his intention was to calm the volatile situation.
“This gentleman came to the Capitol looking for a confrontation, and he got one,” Sheehy stated. “I hope he gets the help he needs without causing further violence.”
Social media posts from an account bearing McGinnis’ name show him outside the Capitol building Wednesday morning before the hearing began. The profile identifies him as a “Green Party Candidate for US Senate.”
In the pre-hearing video, he explained his presence in Washington, saying he was “here in D.C. trying to speak out against the Senate” regarding potential military conflicts.
“Anyone who feels disillusioned and betrayed by our government, you are not alone,” he stated in the recording.