Rep. Jodey Arrington shares ‘unnerving’ experience inside Capitol as violent mob breached building

ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – Lawmakers at the nation’s capital, including Big Country’s Rep. Jodey Arrington, were forced to evacuate on Wednesday as a violent mob of extremist Trump supporters stormed through security and entered the building.

“It was an unnerving experience,” said Arrington.  

“We were getting updates by the supervising officers over the capitol police,” said Arrington. 

Arrington says he could see glass breaking.  

“And it went very quickly from, ‘We got it under control,’ to, ‘They’ve breached the building,’ to, ‘They’re now outside the chamber,'” said Arrington. “To, ‘Guys get ready to get on the floor and get your gas masks out,’ and the doors were shaking.”

He saw firearms being raised and utter chaos.  

“Lots of disappointment and somberness, I think,” said Arrington. 

While Arrington thinks individual police officers acted bravely, he says the police department should have expected this, with all lawmakers being in one place. 

“But as an organization, the preparedness was unacceptably low,” said Arrington. 

Arrington is firm in condemning violence. 

“I think violence and lawlessness is unacceptable and should be condemned no matter what the group is,” said Arrington. 

Arrington hopes that everyone in Washington can be more cognizant of the rhetoric they use. 

“I think the president and political leaders need to be careful for what we say and how we say it,” said Arrington. 

Arrington says some members of congress as well as some senators changed their votes based on what happened but he would remain firm in his decision to object to the certification.

The chief of Capitol Police announced that he is resigning next week because of the protests. 

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