Suspicious Individual at the U.S. Capitol
April 11, 2005

At approximately 12:45 p.m. today, The United States Capitol Police (USCP) responded to a suspicious individual on the West Front of the United States Capitol. Upon arrival to the scene, officers found a man standing with two suitcases next to him. He was unresponsive to any attempts to communicate with him.

USCP established a command post and closed of the area, including 1st Street on the West side of the U.S. Capitol from Constitution Avenue to Independence Avenue. Members of the USCP Containment Emergency Response Team responded to the scene, and at approximately 1:45 p.m. took the man into custody.

After being taken into custody, members of the USCP Hazardous Devices Unit examined the two suitcases. Upon examination, it was determined that the contents of one of the suitcases was suspicious in nature. After careful consideration, a render-safe procedure was performed on the suspicious package. Further investigation revealed that there were no explosives or other harmful materials inside the package. The area was re-opened at approximately 3:50 p.m.