WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy (R-MT) took the unusual step of physically assisting Capitol Police on Wednesday, March 4, to remove an anti-war protester from a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. The incident, captured in a viral video, resulted in the protester sustaining a hand injury and the arrest of a North Carolina man on multiple felony charges.
The altercation began when Brian McGinnis, 44, a Marine veteran and Green Party candidate from North Carolina, allegedly disrupted the proceedings. According to U.S. Capitol Police (USCP), the situation escalated when McGinnis “violently resisted” extraction from the hearing room, leading to a physical struggle involving officers and the freshman senator.
Physical Altercation on Capitol Hill
Footage shared by CBS News journalist Alan He shows at least three Capitol Police officers attempting to subdue McGinnis, who was dressed in Marine Corps attire. As officers struggled to move the suspect toward the exit, Senator Sheehy entered the frame, grabbing McGinnis by the legs to help hoist him out of the chamber.
During the struggle, McGinnis reportedly gripped a door frame to prevent his removal, shouting, “No one wants to fight for Israel!” Witnesses reported hearing a “loud crack” as McGinnis’s hand became wedged in the door’s hinge while he was being pulled by the officers and the senator.
Onlookers were heard shouting, “Let go of his hand!” and “A senator broke his hand,” as the physical struggle continued for several seconds before McGinnis was eventually freed and fully removed from the room.
Sheehy Defends “De-escalation” Efforts
Senator Sheehy addressed the incident shortly after on X (formerly Twitter), characterizing his involvement as an effort to assist overwhelmed law enforcement.
“Capitol Police were attempting to remove an unhinged protestor from the Armed Services hearing. He was fighting back,” Sheehy wrote. “I decided to help out and deescalate the situation. This gentleman came to the Capitol looking for a confrontation, and he got one.”
Critics of the senator’s actions questioned the propriety of a sitting lawmaker engaging in physical law enforcement duties, while supporters praised his willingness to step in during a volatile moment.
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Charges and Medical Treatment
Following the extraction, McGinnis was transported to George Washington University Hospital for treatment of his hand injury. The U.S. Capitol Police confirmed that three officers also required medical treatment for injuries sustained during the scuffle.
The USCP issued a statement characterizing McGinnis as an “unruly man” who created a “dangerous position” for everyone in the room. He currently faces several charges, including:
- Three counts of assaulting a police officer
- Three counts of resisting arrest
- One count of crowding, obstructing, and incommoding
“The suspect… got his own arm stuck in a door to resist our officers and force his way back into the hearing room,” the USCP statement read, pushing back against allegations that the injury was directly caused by the officers or Sheehy.
Investigative Context: Security and Protocol
The incident marks a rare moment of direct physical intervention by a member of Congress during a security breach. While protests are common in Capitol hearings, the transition from verbal disruption to a physical struggle involving a lawmaker raises questions regarding the current security climate and the protocols for handling “unruly” visitors.
McGinnis, who identifies as a veteran and political candidate, remains in custody pending further legal proceedings.
