U.S. Capitol Police on Wednesday said three people were detained and one arrested on weapons charges in connection with an investigation into a suspicious vehicle on Capitol Street near the U.S. Supreme Court.
USCP officers arrested the driver after he admitted to having guns in the small white van. Weapons are banned from Capitol Grounds, yet dozens of people are arrested each year for violating the law.
The driver told police he had guns in the van. A K-9 also "hit" on the vehicle. The driver, another man, and a woman were all detained during the search. Officers found two handguns and a shotgun inside the van.
"The individuals told our investigators they were here to deliver documents to the U.S. Supreme Court," according to the police press release.
CNN said police were concerned about the potential for explosives in the vehicle and the people arrested were from Georgia.
The driver, 80-year old Tony H. Payne of Tunnel Hill, Georgia, was charged with Unregistered Firearm, Unregistered Ammunition, and Carrying a Pistol without a License. The woman and the other man, who were briefly detained, were not arrested.
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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