threat now open the investigation in the very same chambers. our live report getting you ready for what's to come at the bottom of the hour in lookoutsi seeing what it looks like. big question this morning. are we getting rain on this tuesday? mike knows and he's been following the forecast for our neighborhoods all morning long. >> good morning. you're watching abc 7 mornings live on abc 7, hulu live and wherever you stream. what i saw in the forecast was san francisco possibly in the 70s today which we haven't seen in it a while. >> it's been a long time. quite a streak of cool weather. i'm going to go back to that shot. i love that picture of the fog in san francisco and that soft embrace this morning. that is absolutely gorgeous. i just posted that on social media. that's how much i enjoyed that. here's a look at our thunderstorms. just showing you the lightning right now. most of it is off the coast.

the rain is reaching the ground. threat of dry lightning is mitigated. we could have light showers to sprinkles from santa cruz to pacifica this morning. look for increasing sunshine from south to north and increasing warmth. 70s, 80s and 90s. the beginning of our heat wave. >> thank you. about half an hour the house select committee will begin its investigation into the deadly january 6th attack on the u.s. capitol. >> at least 549 people face federal charges for their alleged involvement in the riot. abc news reporter live in washington with what we can expect. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. remembers of that select committee are vowing to get to the bottom of what happened after senate republicans blocked an effort to launch an

independent investigation. an emotional day ahead on capitol hill when four police officers who defended the u.s. capitol on january 6th kick start the house select commitinstation into e deadly attack. dc police officer michael fanone who battled the mob of donald trump supporters trying to stop congress from certifying joe biden's electoral college win plans to testify in his uniform. >> i was beaten. i was struck numerous times. now i'm grappling with ptsd. >> reporter: at least 165 people have been charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding officers during the insurrection. the committee is still working on issuing subpoenas and could call lawmakers, including house minority leader kevin mccarthy to testify. >> we will follow the evidence wherever it leads. no one is off the table. >> reporter: gop congressman adam kinzinger of illinois and congresswoman liz cheney of wyoming are so far the only republicans seated on the select committee. >> are aren't they like pelosi

republicans? >> very serious business here. we have important work to do. i think that's pretty childish. >> reporter: mccarthy has threatened republicans could possibly launch their own investigation into the capitol attack. in washington, faith abubey, abc 7 news. >> thank you, faith. this morning you can watch live coverage of the first hearing into the capitol riots here on abc 7. it'll also be streamed online at abc7news.com. that special report starts around 6:30. a major development in the fight against coronavirus. california will require all state employees and healthcare were workers to be vaccinated against covid-19. this mandate affects about 246,000 californians. state workers are expected to comply no later than this monday. the vaccine requirement has two approved exemptions for religious or extreme health reasons. unvaccinated employees will still have to wear face masks

at work. today in the east bay, some ninth and tenth graders are going back to school for the day to really get a sense of what life is going to look like when they go back to class. >> many of them have never stepped foot on school grounds because of the pandemic. abc 7 news reporter amy hollyfield is live in richmond with what they're going to learn today and how other bay area schools are preparing to go back to in person learning. hi, amy. >> this is a big day for some of those students. this is a big gorgeous campus here. deanza high school. they'll get to get familiar with the school and see what covid safety measures have been put into place. we checked in with several bay area school districts from san francisco to dublin. we are hearing a strong resolve that schools will be reopening for in person learning next month. despite a rise in covid cases because of the delta variant, school administrators tell us they do think students can n

safely return to class. >> we've learned so much from it the the last 15 months that we can create the mitigations to keep our students and staff safe. >> state officials have made it very clear students need to be back in class and that the distance learning model will not be funded by the state any more. that schools will lose money if kids aren't physically at school. dublin is also saying it will offer tours for parents who are curious to see the covid safety measures put into place. the tour here at deanza is set for today for about 100 kids just to help them feel more comfortable before school starts in less than three weeks. live in richmond, amy hollyfield, abc 7 news. >> should we expect to see vaccine requirements for students in california public schools? infectious disease expert dr. peter chin hong says yes. >> we get that emergency use

authorization followed by fda clearance you're going to see school vaccination requirements is very old hat for k to 12. they required many other vaccines in the past so it's probably just going to be added on. >> if you have questions about coronavirus vaccines you can always ask the abc 7 news vaccine team at abc7news.com/vaccine. oakland police are offering a $2000 reward to find and arrest the person who assaulted and robbed former senator barbara boxer. she was robbed yesterday afternoon in jack london square. somebody shoved her in the back, snatched her cell phone and escaped in a waiting car. now police were able to track the phone to san francisco but were not able to find the suspects. a spokesperson for mayor libby schaaf released this statement saying quote the mayor was deeply troubled to learn of the assault and robbery of senator boxer. she spoke with the senator's family to extend her well wishes for a speedy recovery and was relieved to learn she

was not seriously injured. that robbery came the same day oakland authorities publicly addressed crime in chinatown. to talk about the increasing violence in the neighborhood. >> we have one man talking on franklin street and screaming and yelling racial slurs. so there are many, many things happening and incidents are getting more vicious. and with guns. >> it's really critical for us to make sure that communities feel safe. and that when we recognize these incidents of this nature continuing to happen we have to have a greater presence. >> that was chief leronne armstrong who is using overtime to increase the number of officers patrolling china town and east oakland. the district attorney says her office will work to ensure maximum charges are brought against suspects. more top stories we're following. crocodile hunted.

a bay area teenager thrown into the ultimate nightmare during her vacation in mexico. she's walking us through the survival story. iphone of the future. new tricks rumored with the new model that say good-bye to some of your biggest pet peeves. the world's priciest french fries. see the dish worthy of getting a new guinness world record. would you put ketchup on it? here's a look at the smoke in the middle and upper parts of the atmosphere. you may have noticed the haze yesterday. that was the humidity and the smoke. it is above us. we're not breathing it. i wanted to show you it's going away. after a chance of showers this morning, we'll see a lo

team usa is ready for the olympic games, and so is erica! she's got the fastest internet, with wifi speeds faster than a gig. so when all of team usa is going for gold... ...her wifi can power it all, and more. i. love. you. can your internet do that? cheer on team usa with wifi speeds faster than a gig. or, get started with xfinity internet for $19.99 a month for 12 months. switch today.

good morning. checking in on traffic here. it is crowded at the bay bridge toll plaza. if you are headed towards the toll plaza, on westbound 80

before the metering lights we have a crash between a big rig and one other car slowing things down and blocking at least one lane. live picture of the san mateo bridge. i do have a couple of slow downs to get to and one crash that is on the dunbarton bridge. at least one lane is blocked here. injuries have been reported on westbound 84 before the mid span and then the slow down in san mateo because of earlier roadwork. speeds are down to around 9 miles per hour on southbound 101 at poplar avenue. >> hi, everybody. it's about 6:11. let's take a look at the weather part of your planner. there's a slight chance of drizzle due to the marine layer and sprinkles due to the monsoon moisture through the mornings. it's going to be breezy from the golden gate bridge through the delta. it's going to be warmer not only this morning but this afternoon if you're taking mass transit. heat wave moving in, temperatures above arch for all of us. the strongest part will be inland. the air quality is going to be

healthy throughout this heat wave. isn't that a gorgeous sight from it 270 and 80 in san jose and san jose's like wait a minute, san francisco, we got a nice sunrise also. 65, 73 and 83 at noon. some clouds lingering. still a slight chance of showers for the next couple of hours after that. in the north bay while the rest of us are seeing sunshine and temperatures everywhere going to be about 10 to 15 degrees above average this afternoon. still 60s, 70s and 80s. this is day one of a four day heat wave. i'll have more on that coming up. here's a look at other high temperatures today around the bay sponsored by visit california. this couple is working hard on our state's recovery. they live in california and keeping their vacation in it california supports our small businesses and communities. which means that beautiful baby gherkin atop this charcuterie masterpiece is like another brick in the rebuilding of our

economy. job well done, friends. calling all californians. keep your vacation here and help our state get

california! during a flex alert, let's keep our power up and running. set ac cooler and use big appliances before 4pm. then from 4-9pm reduce use and take it easy on our energy. sign up today.

happening today, we will be hearing from the city of roanoke park about a troubling fireworks attack targeting a city council member who voted to ban fireworks sales. an arsonist launched fireworks outside the home of council member willy linares on the night of july 4th. the explosion set a recycling bin on fire. the council member controversially supported a ban on fireworks sales, reversing the city's policy of allowing safe and sane fireworks. linares says he believes someone tried to send him a message by setting off these fireworks. this morning there are significant hurdles keeping senators from wrapping up a

$1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure deal. democrats and republicans don't agree on how much to spend on public transportation, broadband internet and water projects. republicans say they want to kn from. >> a very important category for me is how all this is going to get paid for. >> it's time for everyone to get to yes and produce an outcome for the american people. >> the senate majority leader wants to pass the infrastructure bill along with a $3.5 trillion budget bill before the august recess. senators were hoping to get it done yesterday. this story is crazy and scary. a novato teenager recovering in the hospital after being attacked by a crocodile while on vacation in mexico. >> it came up and then i felt heaviness on my leg and then i looked down and i feel like i'm getting pulled. >> oh. >> the attack happened at the marriott resort where kiana hum mel was staying. a group of people helped free

her from the crocodile's grip and carried her away from shore. >> between 11:45 and midnight they started screaming and so me and my friends, you know, we just jumped up and we ran. >> i see her crying and just asking for help. multiple times asked for an ambulance. >> a spokesperson for marriott says there is signage but kiana says she didn't see the sign which was small, in spanish and not lit up at night. doctors say she'll have a full recovery. ufos, do they exist or do they not? a harvard professor is leading a new international research team in an effort to find out. they'll search for a record of alien civilizations and whether clues have been left behind through technology they've created. the project will piggy back on a recent report by the federal government. it says humans can no longer ignore the possibility of other

civilizations. >> next generation of apple iphone may be easier to keep pristine. apple wants to build its pro model of the iphone 14 series with a titanium alloy chassis. titanium is harder to scratch over the aluminum and stainless steel. that'll keep fingerprints and other smudge marks from staining the titanium. >> what about keeping the screen? okay. a new york city restaurant is now serving the most expensive french fries on earth and you have to see them because i'm going to tell you how much they cost. they are $200 a plate. which is a guinness world record. serendipity 3 says the fries are sprinkled with edible gold and seasoned with with truffle salt, truffle oil and they come with this cheese dip that is infused with truffle mushrooms. and apparently people are ready

to pay up and to taste this. reuters reporting there is an 8 to 10 week wait list for these fries. >> i'll just take the fries right there without all this nonsense. little salt. >> you don't want truffle everything? truffle air? >> no. i like it real simple. heinz ketchup on it. >> uh-huh. >> you like curly fries. >> i like curly and waffle fries. and i like seasoned fries. yes. >> yeah. mike? >> waffle fries. garlic fries. my favorite. >> uh-huh. >> ketchup's probably moving down the list. i like ranch or even bleu cheese. >> my friend told me she uses mayonnaise. >> i was going to say mayonnaise but i thought you'd look at me. >> i would. like i looked at her. some people like to mix it together like the ketchup and the mayonnaise. >> i've heard that too. yeah. we all have our favorites. >> we got options.

>> i'm not judging. i used to think the mayonnaise thing was gross till i tried it. but it's down the list. it's about third. here's a look at what's going on. few sprinkles possible right along the coast from half moon bay. that'd be nice some of the farms along the coast. some of those blueberry patches, strawberry matches love to go to. there's possibility of drizzle from the marine layer under that mid level monsoon moisture. we look south on 101, sun will increase from south to north as the showers decrease from south to north today. more stars tonight. slightly cooler than this morning. highs return to average levels after our warming trend begins today. here's a look at future radar. there's possibly one more batch of light rain sprinkles moving through the bay south of the bay bridge through the noon hour. and then as we head into the afternoon hours, possibly moving through the north bay. not a given. this is our highest resolution and supposedly our best short

range model forecast. so if you get a few sprinkles or if it smells like it's raining, wouldn't that be nice? that'd be cool. 86 at san jose. 95 in gilroy. so warm to uncomfortably warm. upper 60s along the coast. mid70s in it downzone at south san francisco. uncomfortable in the north bay valleys. low to mid90s. 75 in richmond. 79 oakland. uncomfortable, newark. mid80s there. and mid to upper 90s our least comfortable neighborhoods in our east bay valleys. low to master's degree rat risk of heat illness tomorrow, thursday and friday especially inland. around the bay, warm. 80s and 60s at the coast. then we'll be back out of the 100s starting saturday. 60s, 70s and 80s by monday. >> thank you, mike. the queen of country music is working overtime. >> she's booked and busy.

she's talking about whatst next for her and exciting news for fans. dolly parton says she's opening a new resort in 2023. you know i'm there. it's near dollywood. her life now is all about giving back. >> i just want people to be their better self. so whether you're religious or faith people or not, just try to draw on that higher wisdom and just be a better person. try to make things a little better. so i just like to kind of bring a little sunshine if i can. >> all right. >> dolly parton is releasing a new perfume. it's called scent from above and it goes on sale tomorrow. >> this lady. >> there's nothing i don't like about her. >> i love it. >> i might even buy the scent. one day i'm going to come in and you're going to say is that a scent from above? >> it is. it's from heaven. >> it is -- this is rude. it is peak fat bear watching

season out there right now. we'll explain what that means. and we're actually going to tune in live. >> oh my gosh. this morning the kansas city chiefs reconsider the team

welcome back. live doppler 7 active so far this morning. we've had about .05 at big sur. this is where the greatest instability is. you can see the lightning bolts thankfully most of that is offshore right now. as it comes on shore what little rain is reaching the ground is helping mitigate the fire threat. we have several pockets of areas that could have thunderstorms today and then it's mainly the sierra tomorrow and also into thursday. we have a chance of light showers. we'll take a look at future radar coming up in the next, oh, we're not on in a half hour, are we? sorry. city chiefs are you. going to retire their horse mascot named war paint. so the regular

appearances at arrow head stadium since 2009. in earlier appearances the rider wore a native american head dress. this move follows last week's announcement by the cleveland indians that they're changing their name now the cleveland guardians. kansas city has no plans though to drop the chiefs from its name. happening right now, it is peak fat bear watching season in alaska. >> the brown bears of alaska's national park and preserve are catching and devouring salmon. here's a live look. look at them! this is so cool. >> this is cool. he is just, get it. >> oh my gosh. >> i love this. >> so this is where the bounty of 4500 sockeye salmon attracted bears. the fish run into this natural road block and this is a buffet for the bears. as they get ready to hibernate for the winter. they got to make sure they have a little meat on their bones. >> can we wait until they catch

one? we don't have all day? get it! like not good enough. not that one. first of all, can they call it thick instead of fat? >> to me they look really svelte. they're going to get fat. that's the idea? >> maybe. >> because to me they're lean and mean. >> they do look good. >> and fish eating machines. there they are again. i could watch this all day. >> i am just intrigued. it's panning around for us for some reason. >> no, go back. okay. we're too fascinated. you can watch this live somewhere i'm sure. maybe on our -- >> can we go there for real? wouldn't you love to see that? >> just watch. it's cold. is it cold? >> right now it's okay. yeah. >> all right, everybody. next at 6:30 we are standing by for an abc news special report. >> the u.s. house starting its first public hearings on the deadly january 6th attack

you know when you're at ross and all those brands have her like... yes! ...and all those prices have you like... yes! that's yes for less! you've got this school year, and we've got you with the best bargains ever at ross. get your yes for less at our new store in east san mateo. majestic mountains... scenic coastal highways... fertile farmlands... there's lots to love about california. so put off those chores and use less energy from 4 to 9 pm when less clean energy is available. because that's power down time.

it's a new day. and it's coming at you fast. it could be the day your workforce doubles... or the day your visitors quadruple. with comcast business you'll be ready... with the flexibility to control multiple wifi networks from anywhere. all on the network that can deliver gig speeds to the most businesses. every day in business is a big day. we'll keep you ready for what's next. get started with powerful internet and voice solution for just $64.99 a month from comcast business. call or go online today to learn more. babe? ooh... oh! ooh! ooh... yeah?

oh, yeah! there are many ways to say it... sí. yes. ...but when you find the best bargains ever at ross, you'll say yes for less! >> announcer: this is an abc news special report. attack on the capitol. the investigation. now reporting, dade muir. good morning. we're coming on the air at this hour for what will be an unprecedented moment in american history. the january 6 select house committee. opening testimony investigating the deadly capitol riot more than six months. the world witnessing an assault on american democracy. the images are unforgettable. supporters of donald trump storming the capitol.

the mob forcing its way into the capitol, smashing windows, scaling the walls, trying to stop the electoral votes from being certified for president biden. at least five people died in the riot and afterward, including police officer brian sicknick, dying the next day. more than 140 officers injured in the riot. daniel hodges seen crying in agony there while trying to hold back the mob. the vice president at the time, mike pence and his family whisked away to a secure location. eugene goodman leading rioters from the senate chamber, heroic and purposely sending them in a different direction. today, federal charges have been filed at least 549 people, many

accused of conspiracy, obstruction, using deadly weapons, this morning the select committee you'll see made up of seven democrats and two republicans, hand picked by house speaker nancy pelosi. republicans boycotting the committee. mccarthy responding by pulling all five of his picks for the committee. today's hearing the first of many, four officers on duty that day will be the first witnesses before the american people. describing what took place, their point of view, we'll see never before seen video, we're warned some of this is very difficult this morning. coming after some tried to redefined what happened that day. the chair of this committee, bennie thompson, now speaking. >> -- violent tack that involved

vicious assault on law enforcement. we know there's evidence in coordinated, planned attack, we know that men and women who stormed the capitol wanted to derail the peaceful transfer of power in this country. we know that seven people lost their lives. that more than 140 police officers suffered injuries. we know that efforts to subvert our democracy are ongoing and a major part of the select committee's work is to find ways to eliminate that threat. rioters came dangerously close to succeeding. if not for the heroism of the united states capitol police, and the metropolitan police department, many more lives might have been lost. and the rioters could have accomplished what they set out to do, upend american democracy, it's aen an honor to have four

of these heroes sitting before us today. we welcome them for appearing here and more importantly for your heroism on january 6th, you have the gratitude of this committee and this country. you held the line that day, i can't overstate what was on the line. our democracy. you held the line. we're going to revisit some of those moments today. and it won't be easy. but history will remember your names and your actions. and it's important to think about history as this committee starts its work and as we hear from these courageous men to get answers for the american people we need to understand our history if we want to understand the significance of what happened on january 6th, and our role as members of the people's house, i'm talking about the

peaceful transfer of power. 200 years ago, in 1801, the house of representatives did one of its jobs laid out in the constitution, after deadlock in electoral college this body cast 36 ballots and ultimately settled the contest for president of the united states. what followed was the first peaceful transfer of power in our country's history. we know that since then, our history has been far from perfect. we've been torn apart and brought back together, we struggled throughout generations to make our country's great vsion a reality for all americans. we won victories and we suffered failures, but the peaceful transfer of power has stood as a pillar of our democracy, it's one of those things we rely on, a safeguard that we hold close, because as heated and as angry

and divided as we may be, whatever victories we celebrate, our upheave els we endure, we can rest easy when the moment comes our system guarantees that one party will hand the reins to the others if that's the will of the people. while joe biden is the legitimately elected president of the united states, a peaceful transfer of power didn't happen this year. it did not happen. let that sink in. think about it. a violent mob was pointed toward the capitol and told to win a trial by combat, some descended on this city with clear plans to disrupt our democracy, one rioter said that they weren't there to commit violence, i'm

quoting, we're just there to overthrow the government. i wanted to repeat that, i urge everyone to listen to those words and think about what they mean. we were just there to overthrow the government. they marched on the capitol with the clear intentions of stopping the certification of the election and when they encountered the police, who wanted to keep us safe, they went on the attack with bear spray, knives, tasers, hockey sticks, even flag poles with the american flag still attached. and those rioters breached the capitol. they smashed windows, broke down doors and invaded the halls of congress. a seen of sigh i lens in the citadel of democracy.

they raced through the hallways chanting "hang mike pence." "where's nancy?" they stormed on to senate floor because they wanted to stop the senate from certifying the election, the rioters tried to take over the house floor for the same reason. thankfully, some astute young staff member had the presence of mind to grab the physical electoral ballots for safekeeping. these rioters were organize niced, they were ready for fight and they came close to succeeding, it's frightening to think about how close we were, a few inches of wood and glass. and an officer turning left instead of turning right. just describing that attack doesn't come close to capturing what actually took place that day. so we're going to see some of

what our witnesses saw on january 6th, let's see the video please. but please be advised it contains graphic images and strong language which many may find disturbing. >> boots on the ground here, we're moving on the capitol now. i'll give you a boots on the ground upkit here. >> multiple capitol injuries. multiple capitol injuries. >> take the building! take the building! >> we're still taking metal, sharpened objects, missiles.

>> there's an officer in the crowd. >> this is now effectively ariot. >> 1349 hours. declaring it a riot. >> okay, guys, apparently the tip of the spear has entered the capitol building.

>> if i give this up, they're going to have to direct access. at least the scaffold we can defend. >> [ bleep ]. >> is this the gnat? >> cruiser 50. we're flanked.

10-33. i repeat 10-33 west front of the capitol. we have been flanked. >> they're coming baby. they're coming baby! >> they're spraying gas. >> lock the shields. lock them together. >> we need fresh patriots to the front. >> let's get some fresh faces up front.

>> all right, let me out. >> can i speak to pelosi? yeah? we're coming. oh, mike pence? we're coming for you [ bleep ]ing traitor. >> they got the gallows set up outside the capitol building. it's time to start using them. >> start making a list, and we start hunting them down one by one.

>> that's what we need to have, 30,000 guns. next trip. he'll be back, he warns us, is just chilling. i thank god for our democracy and our republic. what stood this assault. but that man's warning reminds us that this threat hasn't gone away. it looms over our democracy like a dark cloud. some people are trying to deny what happened, to whitewash, to turn the insurrectionists into martyrs, but the whole world saw the reality of what happened on january 6th. the gallows sitting out there on our nation's mall. the flag of that first failed and disgraced rebellion against

our union being paraded through the capitol. the hatred. the bigotry, the violence. and all of it for a vile, vile lie. let's be clear, the rioters who tried to rob us of our democracy were propelled here by a lie. as chairman of this committee i won't give that lie any fertile ground. we need to understand how and why the big lie fested. we need to know minute by minute unfolded. we need to understand how the lie behind january 6 has continued to spread and feed the forces that would undermine american democracy. and we need to figure out how to fix the damage. it won't be easy. but i have tremendous confidence in my colleagues sitting to my left and my right. we didn't ask for this.

the house of representatives did its job to give this country its first peaceful transfer of power and we'll do our job now to make sure the peaceful transfer of power remains a pillar of our democracy, we cannot allow ourselves to be undone by liars and cheaters, this is the united states of america. my distinguished colleagues from wyoming, ms. cheney is not the ranking member of this select committee, but because this investigation is bipartisan, it's important that we hear republican voices as well. i now recognize representative cheney for an openin statement. >> thank you very much, chairman thompson. thank you to all my colleagues on this committee. and thank you to each of the witnesses appearing before us today. it's because of you, you held the line, you defended all of us, you defended the capitol,

and you defended the constitution of our republic and every american owes you our undying gratitude. every american i hope will be able to hear your testimony today. and will watch the videos, the videos show the unbelievable violence and the inexcusable and intolerable cruelty that you all faced. people need to know the truth. i want to reflect briefly on the investigation we're launching today. every one of us here today here on the dice voted for and would have preferred that these matters be investigated by an independent nonpartisan commission, composed of five prominent americans selected by each party and modeled on the 9/11 commission, although such commission was opposed by own leadership in the house it overwhelming passed with 35 republican members, it was

defeated by republicans in the senate, that leaves us where we are today. we can't leave the violence of january 6 and its causes uninvestigated. the american people deserve the full and open testimony of every person with knowledge of the planning and preparation for january 6. we must know what happened here at the capitol. we must also know what happened every minute of that day in the white house. every phone call. every conversation. every meeting. leading up to, during and after the attack. honorable men and women have an obligation to step forward. if those responsible are not held accountable, and if congress does not act responsibly this will remain a cancer on our constitutional republic, undermining the peaceful transfer of power at the heart of our democratic system. we'll face the threat of more violence in the months to come

and another january 6 every four years, i have been a conservative republican since 1984 when i first voted for ronald reagan. i've disagreed sharply on policy and politics with almost every democratic of this committee, but in the end, we're one nation under god. the framers of our constitution recognize the danger of the vicious of partisan politics. they knew that our daily arguments could become so fierce that we might lose track of our most important obligation -- to defend the rule of law and the freedom of all americans. that is why our framers compelled each of us to swear a solemn oath to preserve and protect the constitution. when a threat to our constitutional order arises, as it has here, we are obligated to rise above politics.

this investigation must be nonpartisan. while we begin today by taking the public testimony of these four heroic men, we must also realize that the task of this committee will require persistence, we must issue and enforce subpoenas promptly, we must get to objective truth, we must overcome the many efforts that we're already seeing to cover up and obscure the facts. on january 6 and the days thereafter, almost all members of my party recognized the events of that day for what they actually were. one republican said, quote, what's happening at the u.s. capitol right now is unacceptable and un-american. those participating in lawlessness and violence must be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. no member of congress should now attempt to defend the

indefensible, obstruct this investigation or whitewash what happened that day. we must act in honor and duty and in the interest of our nation. america is great because we preserve our democratic institutions at all costs. until january 6, we were proof positive for the world that a nation conceived in liberty could long endure. but now, january 6 threatens our most sacred legacy. the question for every one of us who serves in congress, for every elected official across this great nation, indeed for every american is this, will we adhere to the rule of law? will we respect the rulings of our courts? will we preserve the peaceful transition of power? or, will we so blinded by partisanship that we throw away the miracle of america? do we hate our political

adversaries more than we love our country and revere our constitution? i pray that is not the case, i pray we all remember our children are watching, as we carry out this solemn and sacred duty entrusted to us, our children will know who stood for truth. and they will inherit the nation we hand to them, a republic if we can keep it. thank you, mr. chairman. i yield back. >> thank you, representative cheney. i will now introduce our witnesses. we're joined today by sergeant aguillino gonell of the united states capitol police. 15-year veteran of the capitol police, assigned to a first responder unit. before joining the capitol

police sergeant gonell served eight years in the united states army and spent time in iraq where his base was under constant mortar and indirect fire by insurgents. we also are joined by officer michael fanone of the metropolitan police department in washington, did. c., he began his law enforcement career with the united states capitol police shortly after the terrorist attack of 9/11, for nearly 20 years officer fanone has served the citizens of the district of columbia and special force focusing on narcotics investigation and violent criminals. officer daniel hodges, a member of the civil disturbance area in the d.c. metropolitan police department, where his responsibilities include riot

response. prior, he served six years in the 116th infantry regiment as an indirect fire. -- u.s. capitol police officer harry dunn is a 13-year veteran of the united states capitol police and a member of its first responder unit. ensuring the integrity of the perimeter around the capitol building. among the first of police officers to describe what happened to law enforcement on january 6. i'll now swear in our witnesses. witnesses, please rise and raise your right hand. do you swear or affirm that the testimony you're about to give is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you god. thank you.

you may be seated. let the record reflect the witnesses answered in the affirmative. without objection, the witnesses' full statement will be included in the record. i now recognize sergeant gonell to summarize his testimony. >> good morning, everybody. >> good morning. >> chairman thompson, members of the select committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify regarding the attack on the u.s. capitol on january 6th, 2021, with a heavy heart that i come before you to tell you my story, painful firsthand experience what happened that term day at the capitol. my testimony, personal capacity but not as representative of the u.s. capitol. it's imperative that the events of january 6 are fully

investigated in the congress so the american people know the truth of what actually occurred and those responsible are held accountable, particularly to ensure the horrific and shameful event in our history never repeats itself. i applaud you for pursuing this objective. even though there's overwhelming evidence to the contrary, including hours and hours of video and photographic coverage, there's a continued shocking attempt to destroy the truth of what truly happened that day and to whitewash the facts into something other than what they reveal -- an attack on our democracy by a violent domestic extremists and a stain on our history and our moral standing here at home and abroad.

as a child in dominican republic, i looked up to the united states, a place to better myself, from that moment i landed at jfk, 1992, i tried to pursue that goal. i achieved that goal on many levels. i was the first in my family to graduate college. joined the army. become a police officer. on july 23rd, 1999, the day before my 21st birthday, i raised my hand and swore to protect the constitution of the united states. because this country gave me an opportunity to become anything that i wanted, at that time i already started basic training with the army reserves, in fact

i raised my hand several times to pledge my commitment to defend and protect the constitution of the united states, when i joined the army reserves, when i promoted in the army, when i was promoted during my naturalization ceremony , whn i joined the united states capitol police, lastly when i was promoted to sergeant three years ago. i've always taken my oath seriously. on january 6th, 2021, i fulfilled my oath once more. to defend the united states capitol and members of congress carrying out their constitution duties to certify the results of the november 2020 presidential election. to be honest, i did not recognize my fellow citizens on

the capitol on january 6 or the united states they claim to represent. when i was 25 years old, then a sergeant in the army, deployed to iraq for operation iraqi freedom, from time to time, i volunteered to travel on ied-infested roles to conduct missions for u.s. and ally forces. and local iraqi population as well. but on january 6, for the first time i was more afraid to work at the capitol than my entire deployment to iraq. in iraq, we were in a war zone, but nothing in my experience in the army prepared for what we confronted on january 6. the verbal assaults and

disrespect we endured from the rioters were bad enough, i was falsely accused of betraying my oath, of choosing my paycheck over my loyalty to the u.s. constitution. even as i defended the very dem democratic process that protected everyone in the hostile crowd. while i was working my fellow officers to protect the breach and restore order, the rioters called me a traitor, a disgrace, shouted that i -- i am army veteran, should be executed. some of the rioters had the awe daisty to tell me it was nothing personal, they'll go through me, through us, police officers, to achieve t