Virginia man arrested for ‘trying to enter DC checkpoint with gun, ammunition and fake credentials’
US Capitol Police arrest a Virginia man with fake inaugural credentials, a loaded handgun and more than 500 rounds of ammunition trying to get through a checkpoint in DC
- Wesley Allen Beeler, from Front Royal, Virginia, was arrested Friday evening
- He tried to make his way through security checkpoints in downtown DC that have been erected ahead of Joe Biden ‘s inauguration, CNN reported
- The outlet cited a police report and a law enforcement source
- They said Beeler drove his pick-up truck to a police checkpoint close to the Capitol building which just one week ago was the site of a violent siege
- He then allegedly showed officers fake inauguration credentials
- He admitted to cops he was carrying a Glock semi-automatic pistol in his truck
- Cops found pistol, 509 rounds of ammunition, shotgun shells and a magazine
- Beeler was arrested for several offenses including possessing an unregistered firearm and possessing unregistered ammunition
- The security detail around the Capitol is unlike anything seen before amid concerns of violence on inauguration day
A Virginia man has been arrested for allegedly trying to enter through a Washington DC checkpoint armed with a gun, 500 rounds of ammunition and fake credentials, according to a report.
Wesley Allen Beeler, from Front Royal, Virginia, was arrested Friday evening as he tried to make his way through security checkpoints in downtown DC that have been erected ahead of Joe Biden‘s inauguration, CNN reported.
The outlet cited a police report and a law enforcement source which said Beeler drove his pick-up truck to a checkpoint at North Capitol and E Street NE close to the Capitol just after 6:30 p.m.
He tried to get passed cops by flashing the fraudulent inauguration documents but was stopped by officers.
Police later found the firearm and ammunition in his vehicle.
Members of the National Guard and police officers patrol near the US Capitol in Washington DC on Saturday – hours after a Virginia man tried to enter through a Washington DC checkpoint armed with a gun, 500 rounds of ammunition and fake credentials
Wesley Allen Beeler, from Front Royal, Virginia, was arrested Friday evening as he tried to make his way through security checkpoints in downtown DC that have been erected ahead of Joe Biden ‘s inauguration, CNN reported. National Guard officers at a checkpoint Saturday
The close call comes just one week after the Capitol became the site of a violent siege that left five dead.
Unprecedented levels of protection have been set up around the Capitol in the wake of the attack to prevent a possible invasion on inauguration day.
Beeler allegedly arrived at the checkpoint just north of the Capitol building Friday evening and showed officers his fake inauguration credentials in an effort to get inside the perimeter.
Officers asked the suspect if he had any weapons to which he admitted he was carrying a Glock semi-automatic pistol in the armrest of his truck, the source told CNN.
Police then uncovered the handgun and found it was pre-loaded with 17 rounds of ammunition and a round chamber ready to fire, the source said.
The police report seen by the outlet says officers found the pistol, 509 rounds of ammunition, shotgun shells and a handgun magazine.
It is not clear what Beeler was planning to do once inside the secured perimeter.
Beeler was arrested for several offenses including possessing an unregistered firearm and possessing unregistered ammunition.
Beeler reportedly drove his pick-up truck to a checkpoint at North Capitol and E Street NE close to the Capitol just after 6:30 p.m. Police cruisers near the Capitol Friday night
National Guard troops guard the US Capitol as fences and barbed wire are put up as security for the upcoming inauguration
The latest attempt to breach the Capitol comes amid concerns of ‘major security threats’ at Biden’s inauguration on January 20.
Washington DC has gone into lockdown and several blocks around the Capitol have been cordoned off to prevent a repeat of the chaos seen on January 6 when Trump supporters stormed the seat of American democracy.
A Baghdad-style ‘Green Zone’ perimeter has been set up and more than 20,000 armed National Guard troops have been mobilized.
The Secret Service released its restricted access plan, which includes what the agency is calling a ‘Green Zone’ in the heart of DC.
This is the same name given to the heavily-fortified area in Baghdad during the Iraq War.
Most of downtown DC is now off-limits to traffic and has already drawn comparisons to Baghdad’s high-security zone.
Trump supporters storming the Capitol last week in a riot that left five dead
Trump supporters storming the Capitol on January 6 during the violent siege
Thousands of armed military members are patrolling the streets and anti-climb steel fences and road blocks continue to be installed in the wake of last week’s deadly siege.
The security detail is unlike anything seen in the run-up to any inauguration before and comes after the Capitol was breached on January 6 – the first time since the British invaded in 1814.
A violent mob stormed the Capitol, breaking through police barricades and smashing windows to enter the building where the Senate and House were certifying the Electoral College.
Lawmakers were forced to go into hiding for several hours as Capitol police grappled to take back control while the mob defecated in the Senate and House, invaded Nancy Pelosi’s office and looted items potentially including state secrets.
Five people were killed in the violent riot including a police officer who was hit over the head with a fire extinguisher by a rioter.
Law enforcement officials across the country have been working to locate and arrest suspects who committed federal crimes and so far have brought nearly 100 cases in federal court and the District of Columbia Superior Court.
Donald Trump was impeached for the second time this week after House lawmakers voted that he had ‘incited the riot’.
Washington DC has gone into lockdown and several blocks around the Capitol have been cordoned off to prevent a repeat of the chaos seen on January 6
