WASHINGTON, D.C. — An Atlanta man was arrested on Tuesday afternoon after being spotted with a gun at a park near the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C.
U.S. Capitol police say the man was across the street from Union Station, prompting several shutdowns in the area.
They say Amir Lavon Merrell, 21, was walking down the sidewalk with a gun. He was ordered to drop the gun, but did not, so officers Tased him.
Investigators say Merrell’s driver’s license says he is from Atlanta. He is also a registered sex offender in the state of Georgia, according to U.S. Capitol police.
They say Merrell had also left a bag on the park bench. Bomb technicians are searching the bag, but they say they have not found anything suspicious in the bag.
Police say it took about three minutes from the time officers were made aware of a man in the park to the time Merrell was taken into custody.
Merrell did not make any statements to the police about why he was there.
“At this time we have no reason to believe there is an ongoing threat,” police said in a statement.