A Marine Corps veteran suffered a gruesome arm injury, and three U.S. Capitol Police officers received treatment after a scuffle on Wednesday in a Senate office building. This incident occurred when the man disrupted a hearing on the Iran conflict military readiness and resisted officers trying to remove him, according to authorities.
The protester, identified as Brian C. McGinnis from North Carolina, stood up during a Senate Armed Services hearing and shouted against the U.S. military campaign in Iran. He stated, “America does not want to send its sons and daughters to war for Israel!”
As officers struggled to pull McGinnis toward the exit, he resisted and grabbed onto a doorway. Republican Sen. Tim Sheehy from Montana, a former Navy SEAL and member of the Armed Services panel, ran over to help the officers remove McGinnis from the doorway. His armed seemingly snaps with many onlookers letting out a gasp in shock.
Capitol Police mentioned that McGinnis “got his own arm stuck in a door to resist our officers and force his way back into the hearing room,” and he later received treatment for his injuries.
“This afternoon, a disruptive man started an illegal protest during a hearing, putting everyone in danger by violently resisting and fighting our officers’ attempts to remove him from the room,” the police agency stated.
Senator Sheehy joined Capitol Police in lifting up and ejecting anti war protestor Brian McGinnis from a SASC subcommittee hearing. McGinnis is a Green Party candidate running for Senate in N.C. An antiwar activist filmed the video below: pic.twitter.com/0dVA0ORWXQ
— Alan He (@alanhe) March 4, 2026
Capitol Police arrested Marine vet McGinnis and charged him with three counts of assaulting a police officer, three counts of resisting arrest, and unlawful demonstration.
Sen. Sheehy said on social media that he intervened as officers struggled to remove McGinnis and attempted to calm the situation.
“This gentleman came to the Capitol looking for a confrontation, and he got one,” Sheehy said. “I hope he gets the help he needs without causing further violence.”
A video posted online by someone named Brian McGinnis seemed to show the same man outside the Capitol before the hearing. He described himself as a “Green Party Candidate for US Senate.” In the video, the Marine vet stated he came to Washington “trying to speak out against the Senate” and to ask lawmakers about sending the country into war.
The confrontation occurred during a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee’s readiness subcommittee, where lawmakers heard from senior military officials.
The incident quickly spread online as multiple videos captured the removal, including the moment a loud snap was heard when officers and Sheehy pulled McGinnis from the doorway. McGinnis later told those nearby that his left arm was broken, according to his campaign manager.
This disruption happened amid a debate in Washington about the expanding U.S. military campaign in Iran. This topic has sparked tense exchanges on Capitol Hill this week, including a failed attempt in the Senate to limit the administration’s war powers.
The war with Iran has been unpopular, with President Donald Trump’s poll numbers dipping to their lowest in his second term. With a quick victory, Trump and the GOP could bounce back, but a long, drawn out war will leave Trump in George W. Bush territory of unpopulariy and a damaged legacy.
