Police forces in front of the Capitol (photo illustration).
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Brendan Smialowski / AFP
A heavily armed man was arrested in Washington on Friday as he tried to pass one of the many checkpoints near the Capitol, where Joe Biden will be sworn in in a few days, according to a police report.
Wesley Allen Beeler, a native of Virginia, presented himself Friday evening at a checkpoint not far from the Capitol, details a police report consulted this Saturday by AFP, confirming information from CNN.
In reaction to the violent assault on Capitol Hill by pro-Trump supporters on January 6, Washington has in recent days taken on the appearance of an entrenched camp with its concrete blocks and barbed wire.
The authorities fear new troubles on the sidelines of the swearing in of Joe Biden.
Under close surveillance
Usually, the investiture ceremony is an opportunity for hundreds of thousands of Americans to flock to the capital every four years, snatching up all kinds of derivative products bearing the effigy of their president, before to watch him take the oath on the steps of the Capitol.
But the party will have a special taste this year: the “National Mall”, the immense esplanade at the foot of the Capitol, will be closed to the public.
Only duly accredited persons will be authorized to enter the area where thousands of soldiers are patrolling.
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