Sept. 13 (UPI) — Authorities arrested an armed 44-year-old California man on Monday near the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C., U.S. Capitol police said.
Officials said Donald Craighead of Oceanside, Calif., had several knives, a bayonet and a machete inside his truck. Police said Craighead told them he was “on patrol” at the time.
Authorities said the man’s truck had a swastika and other white supremacist symbols painted on it and was parked outside of DNC headquarters. Instead of a license plate, there was an image of an American flag on the vehicle.
Bayonets and machetes are illegal in Washington, D.C., and police said he was charged with possessing prohibited weapons.
“This is good police work plain and simple,” Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said in a statement. “We applaud the officers’ keen observation and the teamwork that resulted in this arrest.”
“This is an excellent example of the work our officers do every day,” Operational Services Bureau Deputy Chief Jason Bell said in a statement. “We are so proud of these officers for their vigilance.”
The man’s arrest comes ahead of a conservative rally in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 18 that intends to support those prosecuted for the Jan. 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol. Counter protests are also planned.
