Thread by @joshgerstein

UPDATE: At 1st Jan. 6 trial, ex-Capitol police officer recalls battling ‘violent’ crowd, firing 40-50 pepper balls at defendant. Ex-officer: ‘It’s my job to stand in their way…My concern was that they would get to members of Congress.’ w/@kyledcheney politi.co/3hvdH8v

@kyledcheney Jury watching various videos of Reffitt at Capitol. Some surveillance video. Some from crowd, but last clip was from Fox News showing Reffitt washing tear gas from his eyes. @ShannonBream partially visible at the side.

@kyledcheney @ShannonBream As story notes we had hour or so delay for some tech issues. They continue with trouble getting good audio from video exhibits. Works good when judge isn’t in room.

@kyledcheney @ShannonBream Nestler: ‘Are people allowed to climb on the outside of the stairs?'
Kerkoff: ‘They are not.'

@kyledcheney @ShannonBream Kerkhoff also explains 2 reasons she didn’t use her service weapon to shoot Reffitt: 1. She was worried the bullet might hit someone in the crowd. 2. She thought people in crow were armed. 'I was afraid there was going to be a shootout.

@kyledcheney @ShannonBream On to cross-examination: Def. atty Welch gets Kerkhoff to acknowledge that someone who is sprayed with pepper spray usually has trouble seeing. She says it’s ‘debilitating.’ Suggestion is Reffitt wasn’t battling cops as much as disoriented.

@kyledcheney @ShannonBream Onto another witness: Capitol Police Inspector Monique Moore

@kyledcheney @ShannonBream Nestler: 'Are visitors to the Capitol building allowed to pass through windows to get into the building?’
Moore: ‘No.'

@kyledcheney @ShannonBream After Nestler asked her to describe mood in Capitol Police command center that day, Moore begins to tear up and is overcome by emotion. 'The mood was in disbelief of what we were seeing,’ she says. ‘It was hard to hear my officers screaming on the radio—screaming for help.'

More here: politi.co/3hvdH8v