Police arrest man who had torch, flare gun at Capitol entrance
Published in News & Features
WASHINGTON — Capitol Police arrested a man Tuesday afternoon who was stopped during a screening at the Capitol Visitor Center because he smelled like fuel and had a torch and a flare gun, the department announced.
The visitor center was closed to tours as Capitol Police investigate, according to a social media post. A Capitol Police spokesperson said no additional information was available as of 2 p.m.
The Capitol Visitor Center, the Library of Congress and the Botanic Garden were all open Tuesday despite heightened security throughout the city. The Library of Congress and Botanic Garden will remain open to visitors.
Capitol Police put up bike rack barricades ahead of Election Day, as well as fencing on the west side of the campus around the area where the Inauguration Day stage will be located. Some businesses around the city have boarded up their windows, and federal and local officials in the District of Columbia are bracing for potential unrest in the days and weeks to come.
“Beginning with early voting last week and through Election Day tomorrow and up until the inauguration, our team has one focus, and that is how to keep Washington D.C. safe and secure for residents and visitors throughout election week and beyond,” Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a press briefing on security from Metropolitan Police headquarters Monday afternoon.
Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith said the department would be working with Capitol Police and other law enforcement to ensure a safe post-election period.
“We are in close contact with the U.S. Capitol Police, as with our other federal partners, on a regular basis, a daily basis,” Smith said.
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