NEW DELHI: The Police in US arrested a man attempting to enter the Capitol after discovering a hammer in his backpack, according to the Hill.
Christopher Snow, 33, reportedly became ‘confrontational‘ when a police officer identified the hammer during an x-ray scan of his bag and proceeded with further inspection.
“Several officers immediately intervened to stop the suspect,” the release continued.“A struggle ensued. [Capitol Police] officers deployed a Taser to stop the individual and take him into custody. A hammer was found inside the bag.”
Capitol Police Captain Andrew Pecher said the officers “did what they were trained to do and stopped this man from getting into the US Capitol,” per the release.
“Great work from the officer who spotted the hammer, to the officers who quickly took the suspect into custody,” he added.
According to officials, Snow is being charged with assault on a Police Officer.
The incident comes less than two months after Capitol Police announced the investigation of over 8,000 threats to members of Congress last year, up from about 7,500 threats in 2022, but down from 2021.
“With the political conventions, member campaigns, and many issues being debated on Capitol Hill, this is going to be a very busy year for our special agents,” Assistant Chief Ashan Benedict said.
“Our team is dedicated to putting all of our resources into protecting the Congress while we continue to grow in order to keep up with our expanding mission.”