WASHINGTON (KMOX) - At the first Senate hearing on the deadly siege of the Capitol, law enforcement officials testified there was a big failure to communicate when it came to intelligence. A Missouri native was among those to speak.
Capt. Carneysha Mendoza has served with the U.S. Capitol Police Special Operations Division for 19 years. She called the Jan. 6 attack "the worst of the worst."
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"We could have had 10-times the amount of people working with us and I still believe the battle would have been just as devastating," Mendoza says. "As an American and as an Army veteran it's sad to see us attacked by our fellow citizens."
Mendoza testified that she was headed to reports of the explosive device at the DNC headquarters, but once the call for immediate assistance came from officers at the Capitol, she headed there. She says the fight against those who breached the Capitol lasted over four hours, according to her Fitbit.
She says she still has chemical burns on her face from what she believed was military-grade CS gas used by the rioters.
"The rioters continued to deploy CS into the rotunda. Officers received a lot of gas exposure, which is worse inside the building than outside because there's nowhere for it to go," Mendoza says. "I received chemical burns to my face that have still not healed to this day."
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Mendoza is a graduate of Park University in Kansas City, Mo. She was among the Army forces that responded to the Sept. 11, 2001 attack on the Pentagon, according to the KC Star.
Another hearing be held next week with Pentagon officials testifying.
On Tuesday, Senators went into specific details of security failures and missed warning signs as rioters loyal to former President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol in a misguided attempt to stop lawmakers from certifying President Joe Biden's election.
Five people died in the attack, including a Capitol Police officer.
"I'm proud of the officers I worked with on January 6, they fought extremely hard," Mendoza says. "I'm extremely proud of the United State Capitol Police. I'm especially proud of the officers, who are the backbone of this agency and carry out day-to-day operations. I know with teamwork we can move forward."
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