Democrat Rep. Jamaal Bowman CHARGED

Democrat Rep. Jamaal Bowman has been charged for pulling the fire alarming in a House Office building.

Bowman pulled the alarm in the admit of the government shutdown on September 30th.

An arrest warrant was initially filed by the U.S. Capitol Police on the day he pulled the fire alarm and Bowman told agents told the agents “that he saw the nearby doors with a sign reading “emergency exit only push to open, so he pushed on the door and pulled the lever next to it, which must have been the alarm.”

He has been charged with false fire alarm and will be arraigned on Thursday morning.

🚨Just in: Democrat Representative Jamaal Bowman has been criminally charged with one misdemeanor count for pulling the fire alarm during a House vote. pic.twitter.com/2pKeBRP8Bs

— The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) October 25, 2023

Here’s what Fox News reported:

Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., has been charged after he pulled a fire alarm in a House of Representatives building amid a government shutdown threat on Sept. 30.

Bowman was charged with false fire alarm on Wednesday afternoon. His arraignment is scheduled for Thursday morning.

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An arrest warrant filed by U.S. Capitol Police Supervisory Special Agent Joseph McAtee states that they were notified at 12:05 p.m. that a fire alarm had been pulled inside the Cannon House Office Building on the second floor.

When Bowman was interviewed by Capitol Police agents, he told them that he responded “yes” when asked if he knew anything about the fire alarm. The Democratic representative said he was in a rush because votes were being called, adding that the door is usually open.

Bowman, according to the arrest warrant, told the agents that he saw the nearby doors with a sign reading “emergency exit only push to open,” so “he pushed on the door and pulled the lever next to it, which must have been the alarm.”

“[Bowman] advised that usually when votes are called, all doors are open, and that door is usually open (the second floor door leading to Independence Ave). The defendant further stated that this door was a usual door he uses. The defendant advised that he then went to a Dem (Democratic) meeting and a vote at the Capitol, then the House Sergeant at Arms contacted him,” the warrant states.

 

🚨 #BREAKING: DEMOCRAT REP. JAMAAL BOWMAN HAS BEEN CHARGED FOR PULLING THE FIRE ALARM IN A HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING pic.twitter.com/woM0FR3jNL

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) October 25, 2023

🚨#BREAKING: Democrat U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman has been charged with false alarm for pulling fire alarm before House vote pic.twitter.com/VPuJ4foCiR

— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) October 25, 2023

JUST IN — Jamaal Bowman criminally charged with one misdemeanor count for pulling the fire alarm during a House vote. pic.twitter.com/HpnrwquMso

— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) October 25, 2023

Per The Hill:

Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) was charged with a misdemeanor on Wednesday for pulling a fire alarm in the Cannon House Office Building during last-second government funding votes late last month.
Bowman was issued a summons for 9:30 a.m. at the District of Columbia Superior Court on Thursday, according to court documents.

The New York congressman said that he pulled the alarm by mistake in an attempt to exit the building and quickly make his way to the House floor to vote. Republicans accused him of attempting to make a distraction to delay the vote, which he denied.

“Today, as I was rushing to make a vote, I came to a door that is usually open for votes but today would not open. I am embarrassed to admit that I activated the fire alarm, mistakenly thinking it would open the door. I regret this and sincerely apologize for any confusion this caused,” he said in a statement at the time.