Man Arrested for Molesting Former Senator Martha McSally During Jogging Incident

Council Bluffs, Iowa - A man accused of molesting former Senator Martha McSally, R-Ariz., while she was jogging along the Missouri River has been arrested, according to authorities. McSally was running in Council Bluffs on Wednesday when a man approached her from behind and "engulfed her in a bear hug," she revealed in a video posted on Facebook shortly after the incident.

"He molested and fondled me until I fought him off," McSally stated in the video. "I then chased him down, I said a lot of swear words. In this moment, I was in a fight, flight, or freeze response, and I chose to fight. I ran after him, I threw my water bottle after him, and I chased him into the brush, where he was then hiding as I called 911 and waited for the police to come."

The man managed to flee the scene before law enforcement arrived. However, Council Bluffs police were able to identify the suspect as 25-year-old Dominic M. Henton through surveillance video and "other investigative means," according to a news release.

The police department released two photos depicting Henton following McSally from the Bob Kerry Pedestrian Bridge, heading eastbound and then southbound onto the trail where the alleged assault took place. Two additional images showed him in the area before and after the attack occurred.

Henton, believed to be a transient, was apprehended by Omaha police in Nebraska at approximately 3:23 a.m. on Friday. He is currently awaiting extradition to Council Bluffs and has been charged with assault with intent to commit sexual abuse.

Following Henton's arrest, McSally took to Facebook to inform her followers, stating, "Omaha Police Department arrested my attacker around 4 this morning." She accompanied the post with prayer hands and flexed biceps emojis.

The incident occurred while McSally was in Omaha to speak about courage. "And I just had it put to the test," she said in her Facebook video. McSally expressed that she was still trying to process what happened and that it "tapped into a nerve of other sexual abuse and assault that I've been through in the past."

In 2019, during a hearing on military sexual assault, McSally revealed that she had been raped by a superior officer while serving in the Air Force. At the time, she admitted feeling “powerless” and blaming herself for the assault. However, in regard to Wednesday's attack, she stated, "He tried to take power from me, but I turned it on him, and he was running from me instead of the other way around."

In another video shared from the airport on her way to Chicago, McSally became emotional while reflecting on the incident. She encouraged anyone going through trauma to "process it," adding that by acknowledging and releasing emotions, individuals have the opportunity to heal and be free.

The suspect, Dominic Henton, was arrested early Friday and is now facing charges for his alleged assault on former Senator Martha McSally. The Council Bluffs Police Department identified Henton as a 25-year-old resident of Papillion, Nebraska. He has been charged with assault with intent to commit sexual abuse.

McSally recounted the incident on Instagram, stating that she was assaulted while running along the Missouri River. She was in the area to speak at an event in Omaha, Nebraska, just across the river from Council Bluffs. Describing the attack, McSally revealed that a man approached her from behind and "engulfed me in a bear hug" before molesting and fondling her. Despite her efforts to fight back, the man managed to escape.

Council Bluffs police released photographs captured from surveillance cameras showing the suspect approaching McSally on a pedestrian bridge at Ton Hanafan River's Edge Park in Iowa. Through the use of these images and further investigation, Dominic Henton was identified as the suspect. He was subsequently arrested in Omaha and is awaiting extradition to Council Bluffs.

During her video statement, McSally acknowledged that the incident had triggered memories of past experiences with sexual abuse and assault. However, she also expressed a sense of empowerment, stating, "I felt like I took my power back." McSally had previously disclosed in a 2019 hearing on military sexual assault that she had been raped while serving in the Air Force. She retired from the Air Force as a colonel and went on to become the first female fighter pilot to fly a combat mission.

As the news of the arrest spread, McSally's supporters expressed relief and offered words of encouragement on social media platforms. McSally emphasized the importance of processing trauma and healing, urging others to acknowledge and release their emotions in order to find true freedom.