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A few days before the inauguration of future US President Joe Biden, Capitol police arrested an armed suspect in the capital, Washington. The Virginia state man drove to a police checkpoint not far from the United States Capitol on Friday night, according to a police report that is available to news agencies dpa and AFP. Consequently, he was carrying a loaded pistol and 500 rounds of ammunition. The police also confiscated shotgun ammunition. The arrest was made, among other things, because neither the weapon nor the ammunition was registered.
The CNN news channel reported that the man had submitted a false access authorization for the swearing-in ceremony, which will take place on Wednesday. With this he tried to access the security zone around the congress headquarters. According to the New York Times, neither the police nor the Capitol Police, whose job it is to protect members and buildings of Congress, wanted to comment on the report first.
Drastic security measures in downtown Washington
After the assault on the United States Capitol by supporters of President-elect Donald Trump on January 6, in which five people were killed, there is great concern about further acts of violence surrounding Biden’s inauguration. In the center of the capital, where the White House and the Capitol are located, in addition to a large open space with several landmarks, drastic security measures have been taken. Metal fences and concrete barricades were erected near the police checkpoints. Thousands of members of the National Guard, part of the US Army Reserve, were deployed to protect the seat of Congress.
The inauguration on the west side of the Capitol is an event with maximum security, even under normal circumstances. This year, however, in light of the recent unrest, this is particularly true, even if the ceremony takes place without the usual mass audience due to the crown pandemic. At the inauguration, the secret service in charge of protecting the president is in charge of security.
