Man Arrested with Guillotine in Pickup Truck

U.S. Capitol Police have detained a man reportedly transporting a life-sized guillotine in the bed of his pickup truck.

On Tuesday, the police department released a statement announcing the arrest of 35-year-old Philan-Tam-Duy Le from Julian, California. Authorities observed Le’s truck illegally parked in the 100 block of East Capitol Street shortly after 3:00 p.m.

According to officials, Le traveled to Washington, D.C., from California, and investigators are looking into his background to understand his reasons for coming to the nation’s capital.

USCP shared images of the guillotine taken from the truck. A relative told a local newspaper that he recognized the vehicle as belonging to his brother, describing Le as somewhat of a free spirit. He mentioned that Le worked as a tattoo artist and piercer to support his travels. The relative suggested that the guillotine was probably intended as a “symbol of disapproval,” as Le had expressed dislike for both President Donald Trump and California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Interestingly, an Instagram account that seems to belong to Le featured a story on Tuesday showing a video of a man with the guillotine outside the FBI headquarters in Washington. The post included captions like “Guillotine adventures” and “Capital hill next.”

“Outside the FBI building, just eating some cheese pizza,” the man in the video remarks.

It’s not unusual for Capitol Police to encounter weapon-related incidents in and around the Capitol area.

Earlier this month, officials discovered a homemade sword and brass knuckles in a man’s bag during security checks at a Senate office building, according to reports. Last year, another individual, aged 44, faced multiple charges linked to dangerous weapons when a machete and knives were found during a checkpoint screening at the Capitol Visitor Center.