Martha McSally, the first female fighter pilot to serve in the United States Air Force, says she knew she had to fight back.
Former Arizona Senator Martha McSally spoke out about the assault she says she suffered while jogging.
McSally was jogging along the Missouri River on the Iowa-Nebraska border alone. The former Republican senator was in the area to deliver a speech. An image taken from surveillance footage shows the suspect approaching her from behind.
“All of a sudden I was jumped from behind by a man who had engulfed me and in a bear hug-like way and he molested me all over my body, as I fought to get him off of me,” McSally tells Inside Edition.
McSally, the first female fighter pilot to serve in the United States Air Force, says she knew she had to fight back.
“I was so angry and just screaming at him. I threw my water bottle at him. I was then calling 911 as I was chasing him, just trying to keep him in my sight. So that he wouldn’t get away with this,” McSally says.
The attack brought back a terrible memory for McSally. During a 2019 congressional hearing, McSally revealed she was raped by an Air Force officer.
“There’s no way I was gonna have that happen again,” McSally says.
The former senator was named to replace the late John McCain before she was defeated for re-election.
McSally spends a lot of time outdoors running, hiking, and paragliding. She says even though she fought back, she does not necessarily encourage all women to do the same.
“Not necessarily a smart move to be clear but I was thinking only about him being caught,” McSally says.
The suspect has been identified as 25-year-old Dominis Henton. He was arrested and charged with assault with intent to commit sexual abuse. He’s said to be a vagrant, known to lurk in the area.
