A man who was arrested at the U.S. Capitol for trying to enter the visitor centre with a torch lighter and flare gun was also in possession of “what appears to be a manifesto” focused on his opinions on the conflict in the Middle East, United States Capitol Police (USCP) have confirmed.
Police said they took 28-year-old Austin M. Olson of Westland, Mich., into custody Tuesday afternoon — the same day Americans went to the polls in the U.S. election — after he was stopped while going through the security screening process at the Capitol Visitor’s Centre when officers smelled fuel fumes coming from his clothes.
Olson’s arrest led to the building being closed for the day while police investigated.
The USCP wrote in a press release that as Olson moved through the security line he was asked to put his bag and jacket through the X-ray machine, where officers spotted the lighter and flare gun, raising their suspicions.
A hand search led them to find the two objects as well as two bottles of fuel. As they searched the man, they also found what they believe is a manifesto, as well as a letter to Congress, stating his views on Middle East tensions, but did not elaborate on the contents of either document.
Photos of the flare gun, fuel and torch lighter that were seized by Capitol police.
Handout / United States Capitol Police
According to the USCP, they then tracked Olson’s prior movements, which led them to his vehicle parked nearby. A K9 unit and hazardous incident response team did not turn up anything of note in the sedan.
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“If our officers did not stop this man, yesterday would have been a very different story than this one,” U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger said. “All of our employees continue to work, together, around the clock during this heightened security environment.”
Police say they believe Olson travelled to the Washington, D.C., area from Michigan on Monday, but are unsure of what, if anything, he planned to do with the items that were confiscated during screening.
Olson is facing charges of possession of a prohibited weapon, unlawful activities and disorderly conduct.
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