U.S. Capitol Police have arrested a man who tried to enter the Capitol Visitor Center with a torch lighter, a flare gun and papers he said he intended to deliver to Congress.
It happened just before 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, when a man who authorities said smelled like fuel tried to go through the visitor center screening process.
J. Thomas Manger, Chief of the U.S. Capitol Police, said the man approached the visitor center slowly and was looking around before officers instructed him to put his backpack on a conveyor belt for screening.
Manger said the man hesitated before following the instructions of the officer but was “very compliant” with police.
“As soon as his backpack and his jacket went into the screening area, U.S. Capitol Police officers staffing screening the area saw what appeared to be something in the shape of a firearm,” Manger said.
He said officers also saw two bottles in the backpack that contained some sort of accelerant that could have been gasoline. As the man was standing there, one of the officers reportedly “noticed a faint odor of gasoline, and when they pulled the backpack off the conveyor belt, they noticed a much stronger scent of gasoline,” Manger said.
“We found a flare gun, a lighter and a torch lighter in his jacket,” Manger said. He added that one of the bottles with accelerant found in the backpack was leaking and that’s what caused the strong odor of gasoline that the officers smelled.
Manger said that the man had a packet of papers he intended to deliver to Congress.
The suspect was arrested at that time but has not been identified.
“We’re still going through all of those papers. It’s quite a bit and we are trying to determine where in fact he did come from,” Manger said. “It did not appear that he had doused all of his clothing. There was some of his clothing that smelled like gasoline, but not all of it. So it’s really unknown at this point what his intention was there,” he said.
Police said they found the suspect’s vehicle at 9th and Maryland Avenue NE. They said it was “cleared” around 2:30 p.m.
Police have stopped tours at the Capitol Visitor Center for the day as officers continue what they say is still a very active investigation.
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