The United States Capitol Police have a lot to answer for after a massive security lapse one day after the inauguration of President Donald Trump.
Officers were alerted on Tuesday to a man “a man with reported mental health issues and suicidal thoughts who was believed to be armed and in the area,” who made it to the Capitol Complex even after being searched by police, a press release from the USCP said.
“On Tuesday, January 21, the United States Capitol Police (USCP) received a lookout for a man with reported mental health issues and suicidal thoughts who was believed to be armed and in the area. At approximately 1:15 p.m., USCP officers spotted the man’s car on First Street, near East Capitol Street, NE. Officers conducted a canvass of the area and discovered that the man had recently entered the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) and taken a Capitol tour,” the USCP said in the press release.
“At approximately 2:15 p.m., the man was found leaving the Library of Congress, after the tour, and walking towards his car. He was stopped, searched, and arrested. A small 9mm handgun was discovered, concealed in his waistband. The suspect, 27-year-old James A. Faber of Massachusetts, was arrested for Unlawful Activities, Carrying a Pistol Without a License, Possession of an Unregistered Firearm, Unlawful Possession of Ammunition, and Resisting Arrest,” it said.
“The case is currently with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. USCP security video shows the man entered through the south CVC checkpoint. After the magnetometers sounded, an officer performed a secondary hand search, and the man was let into the building. The officer is suspended while the USCP’s Office of Professional Responsibility is conducting an administrative investigation into the officer’s performance of that search. At this time, there is no indication that the man was coming to harm the Congress. Thankfully nobody was hurt. The USCP demands the highest standards when it comes to screening visitors, so a full review of this incident has already been ordered, as well as mandatory refresher training on security screening, so this never happens again,” it said.
Meanwhile, the USCP said officers stopped a man who tried to set fire to his car near the U.S. Capitol building earlier this month when Trump was there meeting with senators.
“Twice today our officers stopped a man who could have been a danger to the Capitol Hill community. This vigilance is critical during this time of heightened security,” U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger said.
“The agency said that during Trump’s visit with Republican senators and his time paying respect to President Carter, a 35-year-old man from Virginia attempted to set his car on fire. Police said that just before 5:30 p.m., USCP officers were alerted to a man who had parked on First Street, NW, near the Grant Memorial, and had lit a bag on fire atop his vehicle,” Fox News reported.
“When officers ran over to the man, the bag extinguished on its own. Out of an abundance of caution, the USCP said that the vehicle was declared suspicious, and the agency’s Hazardous Incident Response Division cleared the vehicle. Officials determined that the car was not a danger at approximately 7 p.m.,” the outlet added.
Spray paint had been used on the car. Investigators also found accelerants in a bag. The driver was arrested on various charges.
A man who tried to bring a machete into the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) was stopped by the USCP hours before the previous arrest.
Capitol Police said on social media that the man was stopped just after 2 p.m. because officers doing a security check at the north doors of the CVC saw the potential weapon in his bag.