Nebraska police apprehended a suspect on Friday following the reported sexual assault of former Arizona Sen. Martha McSally.
McSally, a Republican, had been jogging along the Missouri River at the Iowa-Nebraska border when the alleged incident occurred. The suspect, 25-year-old Dominic Henton of Papillion, was detained in Omaha early in the morning, as confirmed by the Council Bluffs Police Department.
An arrest warrant for Henton was issued the previous night, charging him with Assault with Intent to Commit Sexual Abuse. This charge relates to the incident that took place in Council Bluffs, a city neighboring Omaha. The police investigation involved releasing images showing Henton following McSally across the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge and then southbound onto a trail.
The Council Bluffs Police Department stated, “Senator McSally can be seen walking in front of Henton in the photos.” They further reported that McSally was assaulted while jogging on the River’s Edge Service Road, south of the I-480 bridge underpass.
“McSally fought off the attacker and chased him into a dense area of brush near the I-480 bridge,” they added. “McSally lost sight of the suspect prior to the officers arriving.”
Henton, described as a white male and possibly a transient frequenting the riverfront area, became the primary suspect. McSally, who has openly discussed her experience as a rape survivor, recounted the recent assault in an Instagram video.
“A man came up behind me, and he engulfed me in a bear hug, and he molested and fondled me until I fought him off,” she said. “I was in a fight-flight-or-freeze, and I chose to fight. I ran after him, I threw my water bottle at him, and I chased him into the brush, where he was then hiding as I called 911 and waited for the police to come. I don’t think they found him, and I’m OK.”
McSally’s commitment to combating sexual assault, particularly in the military, has been a significant aspect of her career. She revealed her own experience of rape by a superior officer during a 2019 Senate hearing on sexual assault in the military.
“My drive to fight against sexual assault in the ranks is not from the outside looking in,” she asserted. “And it is deeply personal.”
McSally’s political career includes several terms in Congress, followed by her appointment to the Senate after John McCain’s passing. She was defeated in the 2020 special election by Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, a former NASA astronaut.
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