Man arrested near Capitol with guns, sword', Glen Thrush Politico.com

imported post

http://www.politico.com/blogs/glennthrush/0309/Man_arrested_near_Capitol_with_guns_sword_.html

My colleague Sarah Abruzzese reports:
The United States Capitol Police arrested a driver near the Capitol on Tuesday around 4 p.m.
A search of the vehicle found: Two long guns, three handguns and a sword, according to Sgt. Kimberly Schneider, the spokeswoman for the USCP. Charges against the driver are pending.
UPDATE:
Capitol Police Just Released This Statement:

At approximately 2:20 pm today, a driver approached a U.S. Capitol Police officer for directions at Third Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. Upon further investigation, the vehicle was deemed suspicious and the driver was detained for further questioning. He was arrested without incident and transported to USCP headquarters for processing.

Out of an abundance of caution, the U.S. Capitol Police swept the vehicle that was driven to ensure that nothing of a hazardous nature was found. All tests were clear with nothing hazardous found. A search of the vehicle incident to arrest recovered two long rifles, three handguns, one sword, and several other items of concern.

The subject is identified as 49-year-old Timothy Whitfield of Long Beach, California. Whitfield has been charged with Carrying a Pistol Without a License, Possession of Unregistered Ammunition, Possession of Unregistered Firearm.

imported post

disgusting

imported post

I'm getting a bad feeling in my stomach that a "less-than-constitutional" firearms seizure program is underway in D.C. See this article;

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2009/03/09/dc-police-seize-plenty-of-guns/


[line]
D.C. Police Seize Plenty Of Guns Posted by Jason Cherkis on Mar. 9, 2009, at 12:45 pm

The D.C. Police Department is making these guns and ammo seizures a regular feature on its website. As if before that annoying gun amendment to the D.C. Voting Rights Bill was added, guns weren’t a problem—at least not a problem worth documenting on an almost daily basis. But kudos to the department for doing it. The more transparency the better.
Full rundown of recent gun seizures after the jump.

According to the latest D.C. Police Department press release:
*”Shortly after 1 pm, on Wednesday, March 4, 2009, a handgun was turned over to members assigned to the department’s Second District.”
*”At approximately 8:57 pm, on Wednesday, March 5, 2009, members assigned to the department’s Sixth District were executing a search warrant in the 500 block of 50[sup]th[/sup] Place, NE. During the course of their investigation, they recovered a handgun and several live rounds of ammunition. No arrest has been made in this case. This case remains under investigation.”
*”At approximately 9:35 am, on Wednesday, March 5, 2009, members assigned to the department’s Sixth District were conducting an investigation in the 1100 block of 48[sup]th[/sup] Place, NE. During the course of their investigation, they recovered a handgun and several live rounds of ammunition. The two suspects in this case have been arrested and charged with Carrying a Pistol Without a License.”
*”Shortly before 1 am on Wednesday, March 5, 2009, members assigned to the department’s Sixth District were conducting an investigation in the 4600 block of Benning Road, SE. During the course of their investigation, they recovered a handgun with several live rounds of ammunition. The suspect in this case has been arrested and charged with Carrying a Pistol Without a License.”
*”Shortly after 6 pm on Wednesday, March 5, 2009, members assigned to the department’s Fifth District were conducting a traffic stop in the 1800 block of Corcoran Street, NE. During the course of their investigation, they recovered a BB gun. The suspects in this case have been arrested and charged with Carrying a Pistol Without a License.”
[line] dthis_pub="washingtoncitypaper"; var addthis_options="facebook, twitter, google, yahoobkm, digg, reddit, myspace, delicious, email, more";
How are D.C. Police getting the search warrants for these searches and seizures? I can't find any info on that. Does anyone know anything more?

With Eric Holder back in D.C. again as the A.G., are gun seizure programs under way again? See this article from 1995:

http://www.comeandtakeit.com/findf-l.html

[line]
[size="+1"] NRA version of local/federal DC efforts to search and disarm vehicles and individuals[/size] [size="+0"]D.C. GUN CRACKDOWN: A special team of Washington, D.C., police officers and BATF agents will begin a crackdown on illegal firearms activities in the nation's capital. U.S. Attorney Eric Holder, who's spearheading the effort dubbed Operation Ceasfire, says these special squads will be targeting vehicles which are in violation of safety standards i.e., operating with improper lights or heavily tinted windows. They will also target pedestrians who may fit a specific profile of an individual likely to be carrying a gun. BATF agents will enter any information about the seized firearms into two different local and national databases which track firearms. Could it be that officials have conceded that the District's handgun ban, which has been in place for almost 20 years, hasn't stopped the criminal misuse of firearms?[/size] [size="+0"]From: NRA Alerts (alerts@gatekeeper.nra.org)
To: Multiple recipients of list (rkba-alert@gatekeeper.nra.org)
Subject: INFO: NRA Statement on S. 735
June 9, 1995
[line]
As I said, just a pit-of-the-stomach thing. Something doesn't smell right to me. Are the D.C. Police "inventing" circumstances to justify searches and subsequent seizures?
[/size]

imported post

I knew this case sounded very familiar. Remember last fall when something similar happened when someone asked for directions in DC?

http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/forum4/15764-1.html

Man Arrested Near Capitol After IED, Rifle, Ammunition Allegedly Found in Jeep Friday, September 05, 2008 WASHINGTON, D.C. — A man is under arrest in Washington after an improvised explosive device, a rifle and some ammunition were allegedly found in his jeep, Capitol Police said Friday. The man stopped to ask police for directions near the Capitol building at about 11 a.m. EDT Friday, at the intersection of 2nd and Independence Avenue Southeast, according to Capitol Police spokeswoman Sgt. Kimberly Schneider. The officer responding noticed a rifle case on the car seat and inspected the jeep, discovering the IED, rifle and ammunition. A canine unit was enlisted to help. "They've all been rendered safe right now because they're in the custody of Capitol Police," Schneider told reporters at a briefing Friday. The officer took the unidentified man into custody; the vehicle is still being searched. Library of Congress employees near where the jeep was stopped have been evacuated, and several roads have been closed while police continue their investigation. Schneider said that it wasn't clear what the man intended to do with the cache of weapons.

Click to expand...

Is it just me or does anyone else find it odd that two people were arrested with almost identical charges in the same area following asking for directions from a cop six months apart?

imported post

Kinda makes one wonder if the 'seizures' were staged for benefit.

I mean it is a regular occurance in DC for a solution to be in search of a problem.

imported post

Several things about this smell bad.

Why would a Calif resident be required to register his handgun while *transporting* it through DC or anywhere for that matter. Transporting and carrying are vastly different legal terms. Under current federal gun laws transporting a firearm from point A to point B is specifically addressed and legal.

What's the penal code in DC requiring ammunition registration?

I'll sure be interested in seeing what those other items of concern were.

Dutch

imported post

darthmord wrote:

I mean it is a regular occurrence in DC for a solution to be in search of a problem.

Click to expand...

That's what I've always considered government anyway.

imported post

Doug Huffman wrote:

Out of an abundance of caution, the U.S. Capitol Police swept the vehicle that was driven to ensure that nothing of a hazardous nature was found. All tests were clear with nothing hazardous found.

Click to expand...

If nothing hazardous is found what the f*ck are they then doing searching more?

Is not having hazardous materials in your car in DC, grounds for suspicion now?

Once again this one IS Bushes fault, if the roads still went by the WH,
you could get to Penn Ave without getting lost. But when I was up that way
it was over around 26th st where your rights ended with this sort of thing.

imported post

IIRC it was Clinton that closed the road in front of the WH. Did Bush close other roads?