A number of observers expressed outrage on Thursday as Manuel Oliver, the parent of a 17-year-old child who lost his life in the Parkland High School shooting, was arrested at the US Capitol after disrupting a hearing on gun regulations.
Mr Oliver and his wife Patricia Oliver were attending a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee titled “ATF’s Assault on the Second Amendment: When is Enough Enough?” when they both shouted at Rep Pat Fallon, the committee chair.
Mr Fallon ordered both Mr and Ms Oliver removed from the hearing room. Shortly thereafter, Mr Oliver was pinned to the ground by Capitol police in a hallway and arrested.
Rep Maxwell Frost of Florida, a Democrat who is a survivor of gun violence himself, blamed Mr Fallon for escalating the situation.
“Manuel and Patricia Oliver were just kicked out of this committee hearing on gun violence,” Mr Frost tweeted. “Patricia said one thing and the chair escalated the entire situation. Then, Police arrested Manuel Oliver who lost his son in the Parkland shooting.”
This story will be updated.
