D.C. Metropolitan Police officer Daniel Hodges on Tuesday painted a vivid and emotional picture of the rioters who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, calling them "terrorists" and describing how unusual it was that they waved Christian imagery and Blue Lives Matter flags.

Why it matters: Hodges was one of four police officers who testified at the first hearing of the Jan. 6 select committee. Harrowing video footage from the day of the riot shows how he was violently attacked and crushed against a Capitol door by the pro-Trump mob.

What they're saying: "The sea of people was punctuated by flags. Mostly varieties of American flags and Trump flags. There was Gadsden flags. It was clear the terrorists perceived themselves to be Christians. I saw the Christian flag directly to my front and another had 'Jesus is my savor, Trump is my president. Another, 'Jesus is king,'" Hodges said.

• "To my perpetual confusion, I saw the thin blue line flag, a symbol of support for law enforcement, more than once being carried by the terrorists as they ignored our commands and continued to assault us," he continued.
• Hodges detailed how rioters identifying as veterans said they had "fought for this country and were fighting for it again."
• Others demanded that law enforcement refrain from attacking them because they "were not Black Lives Matter ... as if political affiliation is how we determine when to use force," Hodges noted.