Police have arrested a man accused of trying to set a car on fire near the U.S. Capitol, where there is already heightened security for former President Jimmy Carter’s lying in state.
U.S. Capitol Police said around 5:30 p.m., a man parked near the Grant Memorial set a bag on fire on top of his car. As officers ran over, the bag extinguished on its own.
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Police called in the bomb squad to investigate the suspicious car and around 7 p.m. cleared the scene after they determined that the car was safe. Officials have not released the man’s name, but said he is a 35-year-old from Virginia.
Earlier in the day, Capitol police arrested another man for trying to get a machete and three knives into the Capitol Visitor Center. Police said they do not believe the two incidents are not related.
“Twice today our officers stopped a man who could have been a danger to the Capitol Hill community,” said U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger. “This vigilance is critical during this time of heightened security.”
On Wednesday, the U.S. Capitol was open to visitors who wished to pay their respects to Carter. President-elect Donald Trump was also on Capitol Hill to stop by Carter’s casket in the Rotunda and to speak with Republican leadership.
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