A man who tried to break into the U.S. Capitol with a hammer was shot with a tape gun and arrested by police Friday, authorities said.
According to Capitol Police, just before 4 p.m. as senators were preparing to vote on a bill to avert a partial government shutdown, an X-ray machine at the Capitol Visitor Center detected Christopher Snow, 33. Detected a hammer hidden in his backpack.
As Capitol Police officers tried to search the Ohio man’s belongings, a scuffle ensued when Snow tried to grab his backpack, the US Communist Party said.
Officers used a Taser on Snow before taking him into custody. He is charged with assault on a police officer.
“Officers did what they were trained to do and prevented this man from entering the Capitol,” said Captain Andrew Petcher of the United States Communist Party. stated in a statement. “From the officer who discovered the hammer to the officer who quickly took the suspect into custody, it was an outstanding job.”
USCP shared an image of the yellow-handled hammer that Snow tried to bring into the secure building.
Investigators are looking into why Snow tried to bring tools into the Capitol.
Earlier this year, Capitol Police made this clear. 8,000 threats Threats to members of Congress were investigated last year, an increase from 2022, when 7,500 threats were investigated.
Friday’s incident also occurred a day after President Biden visited the Capitol to deliver his annual State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress.
