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Crime, Law and Justice
Barbara Sprunt, NPR

Capitol Police arrest a man with a bayonet and machete near DNC HQ

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On Monday morning, the U.S. Capitol Police arrested a California man who had multiple weapons in his truck near the Democratic National Committee headquarters, seen here in this stock photo.
On Monday morning, the U.S. Capitol Police arrested a California man who had multiple weapons in his truck near the Democratic National Committee headquarters, seen here in this stock photo.
SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

Authorities arrested a California man early on Monday who had a bayonet and machete inside his pickup truck parked near the Democratic National Committee headquarters.

According to a statement from the U.S. Capitol Police, a special operation division officer noticed a Dodge Dakota truck emblazoned with a swastika and other white supremacist symbols around midnight. In place of a license plate, the truck had a picture of the American flag.

Officers arrested the driver, 44-year-old Donald Craighead of Oceanside, Calif., for possession of prohibited weapons, including a bayonet and machete.

"This is good police work plain and simple," said U.S. Capitol Police chief Tom Manger in a statement. "We applaud the officers' keen observation and the teamwork that resulted in this arrest."

According to the USCP, Craighead claimed he was "on patrol" and spoke about white supremacy.

The arrest was made less than a week before people are set to gather at the U.S. Capitol for a rally in support of the hundreds of pro-Trump supporters who were charged in connection with the Jan. 6 insurrection.

"At this time, it is not clear if he was planning to attend any upcoming demonstrations or if he has ties to any previous cases in the area," the department said.

Less than a month ago, Capitol Police took a North Carolina man into custody who had claimed to have a bomb in his pickup truck in front of the Library of Congress.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.