Oct 5, 2021 - Politics & Policy

Capitol Police arrest man in "suspicious vehicle" outside of Supreme Court

Jacob Knutson

U.S. Capitol Police inspect a suspicious vehicle after it was parked outside Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday. — U.S. Capitol Police inspect a suspicious vehicle after it was parked outside the Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Capitol Police said officers pulled a man from a "suspicious vehicle" that was illegally parked in front of the Supreme Court Tuesday after closing several streets and advising the public to stay away from the area.

The big picture: Police said the man, identified as 55-year-old Dale Paul Melvin from Kimball, Michigan, is in custody and no one was injured.

What they're saying: Jason Bell, the department's deputy chief of operational services, said during a press conference Tuesday that Melvin illegally parked in front of the Supreme Court Building.

When officers confronted the man, Melvin told them, "The time for talking is done" and then refused to speak to the department's crisis negotiation officers, according to Bell.
Around 11 a.m., officers "moved in and removed him from the vehicle and placed him under arrest," Bell said. "At this time, no weapons have been found. It is currently under investigation, and it's still an active crime scene."

Context: A North Carolina man in August threatened to detonate a bomb inside of his vehicle, which was parked outside of the Library of Congress, according to law enforcement.

The man, Floyd Ray Roseberry, did not possess armed explosives but had undisclosed bomb-making materials. He pleaded not guilty to charges of threatening to use a weapon of mass destruction and explosive materials last month.

Editor’s note: This post has been updated with new details throughout.

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Capitol Police arrest man in "suspicious vehicle" outside of Supreme Court

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