Man with suitcases detained at U.S. Capitol

[HOON69]

Man with suitcases detained at U.S. Capitol

Monday, April 11, 2005 Posted: 1835 GMT (0235 HKT)

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The man looks back at armed police crouching behind a wall.
Image:


WASHINGTON (AP) -- Police on Monday tackled and forcibly dragged away a man with two suitcases who had stationed himself in front of the west side of the U.S. Capitol.

The incident had forced police to evacuate that side of the Capitol in fear of a possible explosion.

Police, some armed with assault rifles, moved in slowly behind the man, who was dressed in black and faced the Capitol from a plaza below its west entrance. Crouching behind the wall, the police sprang up and ran at the man, who never moved.

He was tackled by two policemen, dragged to an ambulance and taken away. Police left the suitcases behind.

Some spectators applauded as police dragged the man away.

Before the standoff ended, Capitol police spokesman Michael Lauer said the man had not said anything to police.

Among the officials whose offices are on the west side of the Capitol looking out upon the National Mall are House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tennessee, and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada.




news update is that this dude was waiting for someone to pick him up,and was a tourist

LOL fair enough its a safety concern with terrorism etc in the U.S but the man was dragged away with spectators applauding the police,poor guy only wanted a lift and in the end he was jumped on dragged and thrown into a ambulance and then ppl applauded it,welcome to american
please have arms above head and await to be tackled by S.W.A.T
enjoy your stay sir..

imho americans are a joke,too uptight n judgemental and paranoid
fair enough 9/11 changed everything but if every tourist carry their bags is gunna be treated as a suspect its BS really.. :