Who were the witnesses at the Jan. 6 committee hearing? Here's who testified about the Capitol riot
The nine House lawmakers investigating the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 held a prime-time hearing about what they’ve learned about the riot sparked by supporters of former President Donald Trump.
The committee was formed to investigate the deadly riot and produce a report, expected in the fall. But during the group’s hearing Thursday, lawmakers showed footage of former Attorney General Bill Barr, Trump’s daughter and senior adviser Ivanka Trump and others answering questions from the committee, in addition to violent footage of the mob.
The hearing also featured two witnesses: a U.S. Capitol Police officer who was injured during the riot and a documentarian who filmed parts of the violence. Here’s what you need to know:
U.S. Capitol Police Officer Caroline Edwards
Edwards was the “first law enforcement officer injured by rioters storming the Capitol grounds on January 6, 2021,” according to the committee.
She sustained a traumatic brain injury, and she tried to keep rioters from entering the U.S. Capitol during the attack.
Edwards told lawmakers Thursday that she was called “Nancy Pelosi’s dog” and “a traitor to my country, my oath and my constitution” during the violence. But she said she would “gladly sacrifice everything to make sure that the America my grandfather defended is here for many years to come.”
Recalling the attack, she said: "What I saw was just a war scene. It was something like I'd seen out of movies. I couldn't believe my eyes. There were officers on the ground. They were bleeding. They were throwing up. I saw friends with blood all over their faces. I was slipping in people's blood. ... I just remember that moment of stepping behind the line and just seeing the absolute war zone that the West front (of the Capitol) had become."
Live updates: Jan. 6 committee says probe reveals Trump led and directed effort to overturn election
Nick Quested
Quested “documented the movements around the Capitol that morning, the first moments of violence against U.S. Capitol Police, and the chaos that ensued” on Jan. 6, according to the committee.
The day before the riot, Quested filmed the leaders of two far-right groups, Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, meeting in a parking garage near the Capitol.
He told lawmakers Thursday that he met up with hundreds Proud Boys at about 10:30 a.m. on Jan 6.
"There was a larger contingent, more than I had expected, and I was confused to a certain extent why we were walking away from the president's speech because that's what I felt we were there to cover," he said, referencing remarks Trump gave to supporters that day.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Meet the witnesses who testified about the January 6 Capitol Riot