Man with guns and ammunition arrested near Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. | The State
Members of the National Guard are already in Washington D.C, to reinforce security.
Photo:
Jim Lo Scalzo / EFE
The United States Capitol Police arrested a man at a security checkpoint in Washington, D.C. on Friday, after he showed an “unauthorized” repossession credential, and in a search made on his truck se also found an unregistered pistol and more than 500 rounds of ammunition, authorities said.
The arrested man was a contractor and the credential was not a fake, according to a federal law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the arrest, The New York Times reported.
The arrest comes as law enforcement officials try to strengthen Washington ahead of Inauguration Day on Wednesday, fearing that extremists, emboldened by the attack on Capitol Hill by the president’s supporters Trump on January 6, may cause violence.
A militarized “green zone” is being established in the city center, with tens of thousands of National Guard members and a metal fence has been erected around the Capitol grounds prior to the swearing-in of the president-elect Joe Biden.
According to a police report submitted by the Metropolitan Police Department (DC Police), Wesley Allen Beeler, from Fort Royal, Virginia, was identified as the man who stopped the Capitol Police.
According to police reports, Beeler was stopped by Capitol Police at the N. Capitol Street and Northeast E Street Police Checkpoint.
This was where the police searched his vehicle, after he presented a security credential that was not valid, police report and indictment documents show, according to WUSA 9.
This is the intersection the arrest took place at. In order for vehicles to get to this point they have to go through at least one armed security checkpoint.@ wusa9 pic.twitter.com/qnKCVVwOaU
– Kolbie Satterfield (@KolbieReports) January 16, 2021
According to the police report, Beeler’s unregistered weapon and ammunition was a 9mm Glock and 509 rounds for that weapon’s bullet caliber. They were also collected as evidence 21 shotgun shells for a 12 gauge shotgun. The police report did not include an actual shotgun on the evidence list.
The indictment documents share that Police noted that Beeler’s truck had pro-gun decals, when he presented his fake credential at the checkpoint.
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