U.S. Capitol Police arrested a man on Wednesday evening near the Grant Memorial who claimed that he had napalm in his car, according to a source familiar with the incident.
The incident happened around the time that President-elect Donald Trump was set to visit the U.S. Capitol to pay his respects to the late former President Jimmy Carter.
A grounds crew worker noticed the man trying to light something on fire by his car, which was parked in front of the statute, according to a source familiar with the matter.
When asked what he was doing, the man communicated that he had “napalm” in the car and was “trying to light it on fire,” according to the source.
Napalm is a highly flammable substance that was developed by U.S. scientists during WWII and has been used on the battlefield in flamethrowers and bombs.
Capitol Police acknowledged on X that they had responded to the incident after receiving a suspicious vehicle report.
“Our officers have taken the driver into custody,” USCP said in a statement. “As is routine, our bomb squad will investigate the suspicious vehicle.”
Police shut down a wide area around the vehicle and advised the public to stay away.
Our officers have taken the driver into custody. As is routine, our bomb squad will investigate the suspicious vehicle.
Please continue to stay away from the area. pic.twitter.com/PlA4bgNbkQ
— The U.S. Capitol Police (@CapitolPolice) January 8, 2025
In a separate incident on Wednesday, USCP arrested and charged a man for trying to bring weapons inside the Visitor Center.
Police officers stopped that man just after 2 p.m. after he “tried to get a machete into the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC),” USCP said in a statement.
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“During security screening at the CVC’s north doors, our officers spotted a machete in the man’s bag, stopped the x-ray machine, arrested the man, and secured the machete,” police said.
Police added that they also found three additional knives in his bag.
“The man is being arrested for multiple charges of Carrying a Dangerous Weapon,” they said.
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