Police arrest man with hammer trying to enter Capitol Building

A man was arrested Friday as he tried to enter the Capitol after police found him with a hammer in his backpack, according to Capitol Police.

Christopher Snow, 33, was being searched at the Capitol Visitor Center on Friday afternoon when police discovered the hammer when his bag was put through an He said that he “became combative” as a result. The Capitol Police made the announcement in a press release.

“Several police officers immediately intervened to stop the suspect,” the release continued. “The struggle continued. [Capitol Police] Officers deployed a Taser to stop the person and took him into custody. A hammer was found in the bag. ”

Officers “did what they were trained to do and stopped this man from entering the Capitol,” Capitol Police Lt. Andrew Pecher said in a statement.

“Great job from the officer who found the hammer to the officer who quickly took the suspect into custody,” he added.

Officials said Snow was charged with assaulting a police officer.

The incident comes less than two months after Capitol Police announced it had investigated more than 8,000 incidents of threats against members of Congress last year, up from about 7,500 incidents in 2022. However, it decreased from 2021.

“It’s going to be a very busy year for special agents, with political conventions, legislative campaigns and many issues being debated on Capitol Hill,” said Chief of Staff Ashan Benedict. “Our team is dedicated to dedicating all of our resources to protecting Congress while continuing to grow to meet our expanding mission.”