ARMED Man Arrested Outside Capitol

On Tuesday, Capitol police announced the arrest of an armed man outside the legislative building.

23-year-old Jose Leonardo Marquez was charged with possessing a hazardous weapon and having a ‘prohibited’ weapon on his person. Marquez is reportedly homeless and has no permanent address.

No individuals were harmed before Marquez was apprehended, and the Capitol police are still attempting to understand what his motives were.

According to law enforcement, it is not believed that Marquez was trying to harm members of Congress. The United States Capitol Police released this statement following the incident:

Yesterday afternoon, United States Capitol Police (USCP) officers arrested a man who was carrying a machete and a knife on the East Front of the U.S. Capitol.

“This is another example of the vigilance and strong intuition of our USCP officers,” said U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger. “I am proud of our cops who routinely work to keep everyone around the U.S Capitol safe.”

On Tuesday, at approximately 4:15 p.m., a USCP officer saw a man pacing back and forth, then sit down on a ledge on the east side of U.S. Capitol.

After witnessing the man’s strange behavior the officer approached the man. After speaking with him for a few minutes, the officer noticed a brick in the man’s pocket.

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The officer asked him to toss the brick to the side. After he complied, the man also pulled out a knife and placed the knife on the ledge. The officer called for backup and secured the knife.

Then the officer noticed the handle of a machete under the man’s clothing. The officer drew his service weapon and ordered the man to put his hands up.

The man complied and officers were able to safely take the machete away from the man and make the arrest.

The suspect has been identified as 23 year old Jose Leonardo Marquez of no fixed address.

While the investigation continues, it is not yet clear what Marquez was doing in Washington, D.C. At this time, there is no evidence that Marquez was targeting Members of Congress.

So far he is being charged with Carrying a Dangerous Weapon and Possession of a Prohibited Weapon.

23-year-old Jose Leonardo Marquez was arrested for carrying a machete and knife outside of the Capitol on Tuesday.

Marquez was arrested at the East Front of the U.S. Capitol and was charged with Carrying a Dangerous Weapon and Possession of a Prohibited Weapon. pic.twitter.com/NZzYzGs0lh

— Beatrice Peterson (@MissBeaE on all platforms) (@MissBeaE) December 27, 2023

One example of an illegal immigrant hell bent on causing America harm! This is just a sneak peak of what’s to come in America. Jose Leonardo Marquez is the alleged perpetrators name https://t.co/hs4Up9r7zy

— Proud Patriot (@Brad18123777) December 28, 2023

https://twitter.com/DoggedlyO/status/1740146015267889609

https://twitter.com/mortifiedpe/status/1740445326626955676

The New York Post provided this statement from Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger:

“This is another example of the vigilance and strong intuition of our USCP officers.

I am proud of our cops who routinely work to keep everyone around the US Capitol safe.”