Capitol police officer tells Senate she sustained chemical burns to the face during attack

The first Senate hearing on the Jan. 6 attack happened Tuesday as officials probed police over why they weren't prepared for the attack on the Capitol.

CNN detailed an account of the full hearing, namely citing Captain Carneysha Mendoza, who revealed that she sustained chemical burns as a result of the attack.

"I proceeded to the Rotunda where I noticed a heavy smoke-like residue and smelled what I believed to be military grade CS gas -- a familiar smell," Mendoza told the Senate, explaining that she previously served in the U.S. Army. "It was mixed with fire extinguisher spray deployed by the rioters. The rioters continued to deploy CS inside the Rotunda."

CS is another term for tear gas, often used by police. Footage at the time showed clouds of tear gas outside the Capitol, sending insurrectionists running in several directions.

"Officers received a lot of gas exposure, which is a lot worse inside the building versus outside, because there's nowhere for it to go," Mendoza told the senators. "I received chemical burns to my face that still have not healed to this day."

CNN also cited her revealing the horrifying moments in which she and other police had to face off against the attackers.

"At some point, my right arm got wedged between the rioters and railing along the wall," she testified. "A (Capitol Police) sergeant pulled my arm free and had he not, I'm certain it would have been broken."

Hers is just one of the many stories that Americans are hearing from the Capitol police. According to previous reports from the Capitol Police Union, officers experienced traumatic "brain injuries," lost eye, concussions, one was stabbed, and many other injuries. While one officer died, two officers killed themselves after the attack, and 140 officers sustained injuries.

Read the full account of the hearing at CNN.com.