The United States Capitol Police said Tuesday that officers have a person in custody after investigating a suspicious vehicle in front of the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., the second day of the high court’s new term.
Authorities identified the man as Dale Paul Melvin from Kimball, Michigan.
“This morning at about 9:30 am, a man pulled his SUV up in front of the Supreme Court,” the U.S. Capitol Police’s Deputy Chief of the Operational Services Bureau Jason Bell said at a press conference Tuesday afternoon. “It was illegally parked. Our officers then immediately responded. The man refused to talk, made a statement to the effect of ‘The time for talking is done.’”
“At that time, we backed off, had our crisis negotiation officers attempt to speak with them. The man was refusing to speak,” Bell continued. “And at approximately 11:00, our teams moved in and removed him from the vehicle and placed him under arrest.”
Bell said that “no weapons have been found” at this time, but noted that the crime scene is still active and the matter is still under investigation.
“It’s still an active investigation,” Bell said. “We don’t have motivation at this time.”
“I’d like to express my appreciation for all our officers, the supreme court officers,” Bell added. “Everybody did an outstanding job to keep the congressional campus safe today.”
Capitol Police have been on high alert about threats since the Jan. 6 insurrection, when a mob of supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to disrupt Congress’ certification of Joe Biden’s win in the 2020 presidential election.
The Supreme Court is hearing arguments on Tuesday in two criminal justice-related cases. The high court is hearing arguments in person for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The court’s new term opened on Monday, and a number of high-profile cases are on the docket, including those related to abortion and guns.
This is a developing story. Check back later for further updates.
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