A man was arrested by U.S. Capitol Police officers on Wednesday near the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial in Washington, D.C., after attempting to set his car on fire, which allegedly had napalm in it.
In a Wednesday press release, the U.S. Capitol Police confirmed that officers had “arrested a man who attempted to set his car on fire along First Street, NW, near the Grant Memorial.”
“Just before 5:30 p.m., USCP officers were alerted to a man who had parked on First Street, NW. The man had lit a bag, which was on top of his car, on fire,” the U.S. Capitol Police added. “While officers ran over to the man, the bag extinguished on its own. The man was arrested.”
According to the U.S. Capitol Police, the suspect’s vehicle was “declared suspicious” and cleared by the Hazardous Incident Response Division “out of an abundance of caution.” The press release explained that while the suspect’s car had been spray-painted and that “accelerants” were located in the suspect’s bag, law enforcement officials confirmed that the vehicle was not a danger at roughly 7:00 p.m.
The U.S. Capitol Police also announced that 35-year-old Adrian J. Hinton was arrested for engaging in unlawful activities. Police officials said that while the suspect’s motive remains under investigation, they “do not believe there is an ongoing threat.”
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The U.S. Capitol Police confirmed that Wednesday evening’s incident was “not believed to be connected” with the arrest of another suspect who attempted to bring three knives and a machete past a screening checkpoint at the Capitol Visitor Center earlier in the afternoon.
“Twice today our officers stopped a man who could have been a danger to the Capitol Hill community,” U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger said. “This vigilance is critical during this time of heightened security.”
The Daily Wire reported that the incident near the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial occurred around the same time that President-elect Donald Trump was expected to visit the U.S. Capitol to honor former President Jimmy Carter.
According to The Daily Wire, a source with knowledge of Wednesday’s incident claimed that a grounds crew worker saw the suspect attempting to light something on fire near his car, which was located by the monument. The source said the man claimed he had “napalm” in his car and was “trying to light it on fire.”
