WASHINGTON, March 5 - A disruption at a Senate Armed Services hearing on Wednesday ended with a protester injured after a physical confrontation involving U.S. Capitol Police and Republican Senator Tim Sheehy.
The protester was identified as Brian McGinnis, a 44-year-old former Marine and a Green Party candidate for the U.S. Senate in North Carolina. He interrupted the session shouting, "Israel is the reason for this war, America does not want to fight for Israel." Video of the episode verified by Reuters shows officers and Senator Sheehy attempting to remove McGinnis, who was wearing a military uniform, from a doorway while his hand was pinned behind the open door.
Onlookers drew attention to McGinnis' trapped hand as a cracking sound was audible during the struggle. At one point McGinnis was also heard shouting, "No one wants to fight for Israel," according to the video.
The event took place amid heightened tensions following a large-scale military campaign against Iran that began on Saturday. The campaign involved strikes by U.S. and Israeli forces across multiple sites in Iran and prompted retaliatory attacks by Iran against Israel and neighboring Gulf Arab countries, plunging the region into a new and unpredictable phase of conflict.
A website for McGinnis' campaign states that he entered Marine boot camp days after finishing high school and served for four years. An Instagram profile linked to the campaign describes him as a veteran, a firefighter and a father of four.
Senator Sheehy, who represents Montana, wrote on X that he intervened to help defuse the confrontation. In his post he said:
"Capitol Police were attempting to remove an unhinged protester from the Armed Services hearing. He was fighting back. I decided to help out and deescalate the situation. This gentleman came to the Capitol looking for a confrontation, and he got one. I hope he gets the help he needs without causing further violence."
Capitol Police said three officers were treated for injuries. They also stated, "the suspect, who got his own arm stuck in a door to resist our officers and force his way back into the hearing room, was also treated."
Police announced that McGinnis faces charges including assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, and obstructing during an unlawful demonstration. Video footage does not make clear the nature or extent of the injuries McGinnis suffered in the altercation. McGinnis did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The confrontation highlighted immediate tensions surrounding public reaction to the recent strikes on Iran and the broader security situation in the region. Those tensions were visible at the Capitol as a demonstrator entered a high-profile congressional hearing and was physically removed by law enforcement with assistance from a sitting senator.
Context and immediate outcomes
The exchange left multiple officers treated for injuries and the protester facing criminal charges. Officials and participants characterized the episode as a forceful removal of a demonstrator who resisted, with competing accounts emphasizing efforts to de-escalate and the protester’s resistance during the removal.
Video of the incident captured the moment of physical contact and the audible cracking sound as the protester’s hand became trapped in the door hinge, though the full extent of injuries was not evident on the recording.