US Capitol Police The USCP said it arrested a person who tried to set fire to his car near the US Capitol building during President-elect Trump's visit late Wednesday.
“Twice today our officers arrested a man who could have posed a danger to the Capitol Hill community,” said Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger. “This vigilance is critical during this time of heightened security.”
The agency said that during Trump's visit to Republican senators and his time paying respects to President Carter, a 35-year-old man from Virginia tried to set his car on fire.
General view of the US Capitol Dome in Washington, DC (Reuters/Jonathan Ernst)
Just before 5:30 p.m., USCP officers were alerted to a man who had parked his vehicle on First Street, NW, near the Grant Memorial, and ignited a vehicle, police said. The bag is on fire On top of his vehicle.
Police arrest a man at the US Capitol who was carrying gasoline bottles, a flashlight and a flare
When the officers ran towards the man, the bag went out on its own.
The US Capitol Building in Washington, DC (Reuters/Jason Reid)
Out of an abundance of caution, USCP said the vehicle Declared suspiciousThe agency's Critical Incident Response Department disinfected the vehicle.
Officials determined the vehicle did not pose a danger around 7 p.m
The car was spray painted. Investigators found that there were accelerants in the bag. The driver was arrested for illegal activities.
US Capitol Police stopped a man from entering the Capitol building at a security checkpoint, after he was found to be carrying a machete and three knives in his bag. (US Capitol Police)
Hours before this arrest, the USCP arrested a man who attempted to carry a machete into the Capitol Visitors Center (CVC).
the Capitol Police He said in a social media post that the incident occurred just after 2pm, when officers working security screening at the northern doors of the PHC discovered a machete in the man's bag.
The X-ray machine was turned off while the bag was in transit, and police then arrested Mel J. Horn, 44, of Washington, D.C., before securing the machete.
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Police said Horn was arrested on multiple charges of carrying a dangerous weapon and investigators will question him to determine his motive.
Fox News Digital's Greg Weiner contributed to this report.
