BREAKING: Man With Tactical Vest And Shotgun Arrested After Charging Towards U.S. Capitol

This could have ended up deadly.

The U.S. Capitol police have announced that a man wearing a tactical vest and wielding a shotgun attempted to charge towards the U.S. Capitol.

The man was quickly arrested by the Capitol Police without any shots being fired.

NBC News broke the story and provided quotes from U.S. Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan, who held a press conference:

A man carrying a shotgun and wearing a “tactical vest” on Tuesday got out of a car and ran toward the U.S. Capitol before being stopped by police officers stationed outside the building, law enforcement said.

Officers ordered the man to drop the weapon and he complied, U.S. Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan told reporters Tuesday afternoon. The man then laid down on the ground and was taken into custody, Sullivan said.

He “also had tactical gloves, and when we looked in the vehicle, he had a Kevlar helmet and a gas mask in the vehicle,” according to Sullivan.

The man’s shotgun was loaded, and he was carrying additional rounds, the police chief said.

Sullivan commended the officers who apprehended the suspect, adding this is why police at the Capitol conduct monthly active-shooter exercises.

“Who knows what could have happened if we wouldn’t have officers here standing guard like they do every single day,” he said.

Watch the press conference here:

Capitol Police provide update on today’s incident: "A gentleman parked…he exited the vehicle with a shotgun and began running up towards the Capitol…Capitol police officers observed this individual, challenged him and ordered him to drop the weapon and get on ground which he… https://t.co/zbDWmMykQd pic.twitter.com/Bpq1mPAF4p

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) February 17, 2026

Here’s the moment the man was arrested:

Person with apparent gun arrested at Capitol Building: police https://t.co/NAvyGwPS7K pic.twitter.com/r9M3WRRd0Z

— Allison Papson (@AllisonPapson) February 17, 2026

Forbes reported this is the third security scare at the Capitol within the last year:

Tuesday’s arrest comes months after the U.S. Capitol Police arrested a Pennsylvania man for allegedly threatening to kill Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., stopping him before he reached a security screening at the Russell Senate Office Building.

Capitol Police also arrested a 23-year-old Oregon man last summer after officers found a station wagon parked in a space reserved for Congressional staff along Pennsylvania Avenue, spotting weapons inside the vehicle including what appeared to be a bow & arrow, a knife, and an empty pistol holster. A search of the vehicle also recovered a rifle, handgun, and multiple rounds of ammunition.

This is a developing story…

What’s your take?