Arizonan and former U.S. Senator Martha McSally said she was sexually assaulted while jogging on Thursday morning. Immediately after the attack, McSally posted a video to the social media site Instagram describing the ordeal.
According to her account, she was running along the bank of the Missouri River in Iowa, having been in the state to give a speech on courage. At approximately 10:53 AM, a man jumped out and grabbed her. A physical altercation ensued in which she was groped and fondled. The man eventually retreated into the woods.
In her video, she spoke about the attack.
“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,” McSally said in the video.
She said that she was in Iowa to prepare for a speech about courage in Omaha.
“I was in a fight-flight-or-freeze, and I chose to fight,” she continued. “I chased him through the brush and then threw his water bottle at it. He was hiding in the brush as I called 911. I don’t believe they found him and I’m okay.”
McSally was met by the police after calling 911. The suspect has been described as “stocky”, between 25 and 40 years old, and being in his mid-twenties. The search is still ongoing.
McSally had experienced sexual assaults and rapes before. The former senator and Congresswoman revealed publicly a few years before this latest incident that she was raped while serving as a U.S. Air Force officer.
This is a breaking news story, we will keep you updated as more information becomes available.
