Among those testifying at a Tuesday Senate hearing was a police captain who revealed burns on her face from dangerous chemicals sprayed by the rioters.
Hearings kicked off on Capitol Hill Tuesday to examine the alleged security failures that occurred during the storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6. Among those testifying was a police captain who revealed burns on her face from dangerous chemicals sprayed by the rioters.
“I received chemical burns to my face that still have not healed to this day,” Captain Carneysha Mendoza said during testimony at the Senate hearing.
“I proceeded to the rotunda where I noticed a heavy smoke-like residue and smelled what I believed to be military-grade CS gas, a familiar smell,” Mendonza continued.
An army vet, Mendoza described the rioters’ violent tactics.
“It was mixed with fire extinguisher spray deployed by rioters. The rioters continued to deploy CS into the rotunda. Officers received a lot of gas exposure, which is worse inside the building than outside, because there is nowhere for it to go,” Mendoza said.
The captain also spoke of her colleague, Officer Brian Sicknick, who died after he was hit by bear spray.
“The night of January 7, until the very early morning hours of my birthday, January 8, I spent at the hospital comforting the family of our fallen officer and met with the medical examiner's office prior to working with officers to facilitate a motorcade to transport Officer Sicknick from the hospital.”
Of all the events Mendoza worked during her 19-year career, she said the day of the assault was “by far the worst of the worst.”
Meanwhile, Senator Ted Cruz was criticized Tuesday by some on social media after he was pictured appearing to type on his phone during the opening remarks of former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund. Sund, who resigned shortly after the assault, testified that the storming was the “worst attack on law enforcement” he has seen in his entire career.
As promised, Democrats have drafted a plan for the formation of a 9/11-style commission to investigate what led to the insurrection. The report is due by the end of the year.
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