Capitol Police officer suspended after discharging weapon in House office building

By Whitney Wild, CNN

A US Capitol Police officer was suspended on Tuesday after discharging a weapon in the breakroom of the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, DC, according to a department spokesperson.

The department’s Office of Professional Responsibility is investigating the incident, the spokesperson said.

The incident comes as security at the US Capitol complex has been under scrutiny following the January 2021 Capitol Hill insurrection and several other high-profile moments where Capitol security was in the news.

Last month, a military parachute event at Washington’s Nationals Park inadvertently triggered a “probable threat” warning at the US Capitol and prompted an evacuation order. The Federal Aviation Administration subsequently issued an apology for not notifying the US Capitol Police in advance of that demonstration.

In December, the Longworth House Office Building of the US Capitol complex was put on a shelter-in-place order after a Capitol staffer brought a gun into the building. A staffer was charged with carrying a pistol without a license in that incident, which took place just hours before President Joe Biden visited the Capitol to attend a tribute for the late Sen. Bob Dole.

In October, Capitol Police took into custody a suspect from a “suspicious vehicle” parked near the Supreme Court after giving the person commands and using a flash bang device. The man returned months later but was released without incident.

And in August, a man was arrested after an hours-long standoff near the US Capitol during which he claimed to have an explosive device.

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