Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost walked out of a House hearing on Thursday (23 March) after apologising to a Parkland parent who was arrested for protesting gun violence.

Manuel Oliver, who lost his son in the 2018 school shooting, was pinned to the floor by police outside the room after disrupting the meeting.

“I fight alongside Manny and Patricia Oliver,” Mr Frost, a Florida Democrat, said before he accused republicans on the committee of benefiting from “gun lobby money”.

“Today’s hearing is about distracting the people from the truth,” he added, leaving the room.