Man with Gun Arrested Near Union Station on Capitol Hill
A man with a gun was arrested Tuesday across from Union Station on Capitol Hill, according to U.S. Capitol Police.
The suspect, identified as 21-year-old Ahmir Lavon Merrell of Atlanta, was spotted by a Capitol Police officer walking around with a “long gun” in the park alongside Delaware Avenue NE. Officers commanded him to drop the weapon, and when he didn’t comply, they tased him, police said. Merrell is a registered sex offender in Georgia, police added.
The gun was described as a semi-automatic weapon, with one officer telling NBC News that the suspect had “an AR-15.”
Police also deemed the suspect’s backpack as suspicious and have cleared the park while they investigate it.
Although police have no reason to believe there is an ongoing threat, they are still investigating. Officers were seen sprinting out to the Capitol as the incident unfolded, and others followed. The small park isn’t far from three Senate office buildings.
Columbus Circle between Louisiana and Delaware avenues NE and D Street between Louisiana and Delaware avenues NE are shut down as police investigate.
Police are not sure how the suspect got to the park, whether it was via public transportation, on foot, or by driving.
This incident follows another arrest on Sunday near the Capitol Building, when a man with a modified gun was arrested after crashing a car into a barrier. Court documents revealed that he was out of jail on supervised release after a previous gun charge.
Stay with News4 for updates on this developing story.