Capitol Police seize handguns, arrest 2 after car crashes into barricade

The Capitol Police said Monday they seized two Glock handguns and a stolen car from two men who crashed their car into a vehicle barrier and fled from officers near the Capitol.

Why it matters: The incident comes as a rise in violent crime in Washington, D.C. has many on Capitol Hill concerned about their safety.

• Lawmakers and aides were stunned last month when Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) was carjacked just outside his apartment building in nearby Navy Yard where many other lawmakers live.

Driving the news: The Capitol Police said in a statement that officers attempted to make a traffic stop after witnessing a car idling at a green light on Sunday.

• When they approached the car it sped away and crashed into a Capitol complex vehicle barrier near Capitol Police headquarters, the statement said.
• The two men, identified as Ricardo L. Glass and Onostale Okojie, both 20 years old, then attempted to escape on foot but were captured and arrested.
• Police found a Glock with an extended magazine in the passenger's seat of the car, which was stolen, and another Glock in a nearby flowerbed with a "giggle switch," a device fitted onto the back of a gun that can turn it from a semiautomatic to a fully automatic weapon.

Zoom in: Glass and Okojie face more than a dozen charges, including firearms violations, fleeing from a law enforcement officer, driving under the influence and receiving stolen property.

• They are also charged with unlawful possession of a handgun due to the "giggle switch" attached to one of the Glocks.

By the numbers: The Capitol Police have confiscated more than 30 guns this year at the Capitol complex – where even legally registered guns are prohibited.