Tri-Stater Shares Capitol Hill Experience

The Dubois County man attended the Washington, D.C.

Protest Wednesday, and though he was in the far back of the crowd, away from the Capitol building, he was hit with tear gas near the night's end.

January 20th.

The damage and destruction has put millions on edge.

But we're getting an inside look at what happened on capitol hill wednesday.

44news reporter valerie lyons spoke with a tri- stater who witnesses the attack unfold.

Val - what did he share with you?

The dubois county native says he wasn't even planning on going to the protest -- it was a last minute decision -- little did he know -- he'd witness first- hand -- one of the most defining days in modern american history..

"we were at the ellipse around 6 am all day and then we were waiting for the president to talk."

Colby stafford traveled from his dubois county home to washington, d.c.sunday night -- he was among thousands eager to have their voices heard -- in support of president trump -- and in opposition of november's election results.

"after the president talked we just marched down towards the capitol."

But in an instant -- protest -- turned to chaos.

"i'm way back in the crowd, we don't know what's going on except some people are coming up from the front where all that was happening they were getting tear gassed or pepper sprayed, whatever was happening.

Yeah it was pretty wild."

And in all the chaos -- one thing weighs heavily for some -- "the fact that protesters stormed through the building is very surprising to many who have been in the capitol and people who have been capitol hill and official washington."

Matthew hanka is an associate professor of political science at the university of southern indiana -- he once lived in d.c.

And says capitol police should have been better prepared -- "washington d.c is very heavy in law enforcement in terms of the number of law enforcement officers per capita, it's huge.

And for them to see this or expect it is very surprising and very disappointment."

But stafford says while he expected some groups considered to be extreme-- to show up -- "we had been hearing stuff that potential hate groups could be in with us ."

He says he did not expect scenes like this to unfold "99% of people there were there just to protest peacefully.

It's that small few that ruin it for the rest."

And believes despite what happened -- "the whole movement of america first has already started and it's not going to die with donald trump."

While stafford was nowhere near the capitol doors early on in the day -- he says after national guard showed up -- he was actually hit by tear gas as they tried to clear everyone away before curfew