El Pasoans in D.C. were eyewitnesses to the Capitol chaos

WASHINGTON, DC -- While many Americans watched the chaos at the nation's Capitol unfold from their homes on television or via social media, some El Pasoans were actually there to see it first hand for themselves.

Journalist and former ABC-7 reporter Julio Cesar-Chavez was covering the events at the Capitol building for Reuters.

As he arrived on scene, he observed the crowd getting loud and violent.

"There were police using flash-bang grenades and riot shields to push the protesters back," said Chavez. "They did push them back and ended up getting control of the north side entrance. They used tear gas, they used pepper spray."

Chavez said he came prepared for the potential of violence.

"I wore a normal bullet proof vest and a chest plate or extra protection," he explained.

Also there at the Capitol was Bethany Hatch, another El Pasoan who is a former Texas state senate candidate.

She was there with some friends; earlier they had watched President Trump address many of the protesters at a nearby rally.

"We got there (at the Capitol) a little after the first flash-bomb," she told ABC-7. "We didn't hear them, but we had heard they had gone off and we saw people breaching the barriers at the Capitol."

Hatch added, "We stayed back and kind of just observed what was going on," to avoid any trouble.

At lease one of these two El Pasoans will be returning to the scene.

Chavez said he will head back at the Capitol to cover the aftermath on Thursday morning.