Local man claims to have been at U.S. Capitol during attack, says violence overshadowed the message

MIAMI VALLEY — A man who claims he went to Washington D.C. to protest on January 6 and then went into the Capitol is speaking out on what happened that day.

News Center 7′s Mike Campbell spoke with the man who didn’t want to give us his name about what took place and why he thinks the violence is overshadowing the message people wanted send.

“They said it was going to be a historic event,” said the man.

The Miami Valley man told Campbell that his friends convinced him to head to DC.

He listened to President Trump’s speak at the White House and then walked toward the Capitol with the crowd.

“It was, as far as the eye could see, elbow-to-elbow people,” said the man.

He shared videos with News Center 7 of him climbing the scaffolding in place for the inauguration.

“I went up there because I realized this was history going on,” said the man.

The man claimed he was in front of the crowd when people started battering windows and doors.

He also said that when people started going through barricades, he got hit with tear gas.

“I didn’t see what choice I had, I don’t think I could have turned around and went the other direction,” explained the man.

The man claims the people he was with had no criminal intentions but admits that the scene was chaotic.

“There were other chants going on, ‘This is our house,’” said the man.

The man told News Center 7 that he purposefully lit a marijuana cigarette while inside the Capitol.

He denied seeing the deadly attack on a Capitol police officer, but did see the aftermath of the woman being fatally shot while trying to break into a secure area of the Capitol.

When asked if he was afraid of being identified and arrested, he said he doesn’t understand what he would be arrested for.

“I didn’t break anything, I got pushed in really, while I was doing what my American right is, which is peaceful protest.” explained the man.

Federal investigators have arrested hundreds of people involved in the violent attack on the US Capitol, and the man who News Center 7 spoke with says if federal investigators want to talk to him, he’ll be open about what took place.

Cox Media Group