A Capitol Hill gun rights hearing escalated into a verbal dispute between two legislators Thursday after the arrest of a parent who lost their son in 2018’s Parkland school shooting.
The chaos began during a joint hearing by the House Oversight and House Judiciary Committees. Patricia and Manuel Oliver shouted loudly about their son Joaquin’s passing before being removed from the Capitol Police by Reps. Pat Fallon and Andy Biggs.
Patricia Oliver shouted, “You took my son”, over Fallon’s discussion about gun violence in Mexico and the U.S. according to video.
“You’re removed. Fallon said that you were violating protocol and disorder in a committee room. Patricia Oliver continued her conversation about her son, who was shot to death at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High school in 2018. His parents founded a gun reform group after Joaquin Oliver’s passing. They also previously participated in civil disobedience.
Capitol Police removed the Olivers from Rayburn Hearing Room. Two officers pin Manuel Oliver to the ground while making an arrest.
According to video, one officer shouted at Patricia “Back up, or you’ll be sent to jail next.” Patricia was kicked out by the second officer. Patricia made it back to the committee room, just as the panel was called into recess.
Rep. David Cicilline (D.R.I.) said, “It was really horrible.”
Fallon, who presided the joint hearings on the Second Amendment, stated that it was not clear to him why Oliver was arrested. Fallon described “a lot of ruckus” in the hallway, from his dais position.
Cicilline then and Fallon had a brief verbal dispute over Olivers’ removal during panel’s short recess. Fallon described the altercation as more of an intellectual exercise.
In an interview following the hearing, the Democrat maintained that Patricia Oliver was entitled to speak as loudly as she wishes during the break.
Rep. Maxwell Frost (D.Fla.) expressed his dismay at the outcome of the scene, accusing Fallon and saying that Fallon “escalated” the situation. He also suggested that the Olivers should have been warned. (Disputed attendees to congressional hearings are expected to be removed immediately.
Frost ran out of hearing and saw Manuel Oliver being arrested. He asked “what’s the matter?” and was repeatedly told by police to “get back sir”.
After the arrest, the first-term lawmaker, and gun safety activist, refused to comment.
“Anyone disrupting a Congressional hearing or disregarding a law enforcement officer’s orders to cease are going to be taken into custody,” Tim Barber, spokesperson for Capitol Police, stated in a statement to POLITICO.
Capitol Police claim that Manuel Oliver shouted and tried to enter the hearing room again, leading to his arrest. He was cited and released, not sent to jail.
According to the Capitol Police, Patricia Oliver wasn’t arrested because she followed the lawful instructions of our officers.
Fallon stated that he would investigate whether any legislators encouraged Patricia Oliver to enter the committee room again. He said that such a move could “lead a committee to censure that could result in removal from the committees.”
Nicholas Wu, Olivia Beavers and others contributed.
