'I was slipping in people's blood,' says Capitol Police officer, recalling events on January 6

Nicole Gaudiano
Updated ·2 min read
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  • Caroline Edwards recalled how the US Capitol looked like an "absolute war zone" on January 6, 2021.

  • In testimony before the House select committee, the Capitol cop said "I was slipping in people's blood."

  • A bicycle rack landed on Edwards' head. She said she was also pepper sprayed and tear gassed.

Capitol Police Officer Caroline Edwards said it looked to her like an "absolute war zone" on January 6, 2021, when supporters of former President Trump attacked the US Capitol, forcing officers to engage in "hours of hand-to-hand combat" beyond the scope of any law enforcement training.

Edwards, who was injured in the attack, told members of the House select committee on Thursday, "I can just remember my breath catching in my throat" while looking at the "carnage" and "chaos" of the riot scene.

"I couldn't believe my eyes," she told the committee. "There were officers on the ground. You know, they were bleeding, they were throwing up…I mean I saw friends with blood all over their faces. I was slipping in people's blood. You know, I was catching people as they fell."

Edwards told committee members how she lost consciousness during the attack when a bicycle rack landed on her head, but she then returned to duty, only to be pepper sprayed and tear gassed.

She said she is trained to detain a couple of subjects and handle a crowd. But she isn't trained for combat, which is what that day entailed, she said.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I think that as a police officer, as a law enforcement officer, I would find myself in the middle of a battle," she said.

Read the original article on Business Insider