Moment Capitol cops lob flash bangs into 'suspicious' SUV parked outside Supreme Court as Michigan driver is arrested after telling officer: 'The time for talking is done'
US Capitol Police officers used flash bangs to smoke a Michigan man out of his car after he parked it outside the US Supreme Court, refused to come out and allegedly told cops: 'The time for talking is done.'
Dramatic video footage showed the man, later identified as Dale Paul Melvin, 55, being dragged from the Chevy SUV by cops in Washington DC Tuesday morning.
No weapons were found in the SUV, and police have yet to pinpoint a motive. Cops have also yet to say what charges Melvin, of Kimball in Michigan, may face.
The United States Capitol Police warned the public to stay away from First Street, NE in Washington, DC, early on Tuesday morning. There were no disruptions to court proceedings.
Deputy Chief Jason Bell said Melvin 'illegally parked' his SUV outside the building at around 9:30am.
Smoke is seen coming out of the SUV as SWAT teams moved in to arrest the suspect, named as Dale Paul Melvin, 55
Capitol Police are seen above taking Melvin into custody on Tuesday
The image above shows a suspicious SUV spotted near the United States Supreme Court building in Washington, DC, on Tuesday
A suspicious SUV (circled) is seen above on a Washington, DC, street blocked by Capitol Police near the Supreme Court on Tuesday morning
Capitol Police on Tuesday tweeted that the driver of the vehicle (circled) was apprehended and taken into custody
The image above shows the moment SWAT teams raided the vehicle using flash bangs and pulled the suspect out
The man was wearing a white t-shirt and dark-colored pants at the time he was arrested
The suspect has been identified as Dale Paul Melvin, 55, of Kimball, Michigan
A glance at Melvin's Facebook page reveals several posts indicating that he is a supporter of former President Donald Trump and a critic of Democrats including former President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
The images above show more anti-Obama posts from Melvin's Facebook page
Bell said that when officers approached the vehicle, Melvin refused to talk, telling them something to he effect of 'the time for talking is done.'
'At that time we backed off, had our crisis negotiation officers attempt to speak with him. The man was refusing to speak,' Bell said.
At around 11am, SWAT teams 'moved in,' deployed flash bangs, and forcibly removed Melvin from the vehicle, placing him under arrest, according to Bell.
Authorities warned 'a loud bang may be heard in the area,' but 'there is no cause for alarm, and no action needs to be taken by Congressional Staff.'
A glance at Melvin's Facebook page reveals several posts indicating that he is a supporter of former President Donald Trump, and a critic of Democrats including former President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
'NOW: We are investigating a suspicious vehicle in front of the Supreme Court along First Street, NE,' the US Capitol Police tweeted on Tuesday.
An hour later, the USCP tweeted: 'One of our teams just moved in and extracted the man from the SUV. The man is in custody. Everyone is safe.'
A reporter for Newsy posted an image on Twitter showing a silver-colored SUV near the Court.
The United States Capitol Police warned the public to stay away from First Street, NE in Washington, DC. Police are seen above responding to the report of a suspicious vehicle on Tuesday
Heavily armed officers are seen above near the US Supreme Court on Tuesday morning
The suspicious vehicle is seen far right near the Supreme Court on Tuesday
‘A source tells me this [is] the suspicious car in front of the Supreme Court,’ according to journalist Nathaniel Reed.
The photo posted by Reed shows a US Capitol Police officer ‘yelling at the man driving to roll down his window.’
‘Just roll down the windows so we can talk to you! Come on man! Roll them down!’ Reed quotes a source as saying.
The USCP told local media that it has blocked traffic from First Street between Independence Avenue, SE and Constitution Avenue, NE; Second Street between East Capitol Street and Constitution Avenue, NE; and East Capitol Street between First and Second Streets, NE.
In April, a USCP officer was killed and another was injured when a man rammed his car into a barricade outside the US Capitol. The driver of the car then got out of the vehicle and began wielding a knife.
Police shot the suspect, 25-year-old Noah Green, who died at a hospital.
Last month, a man drove a black pickup truck onto the sidewalk outside the Library of Congress and began shouting to people in the street that he had a bomb.
He later made the same bomb threats to police officers and professed a litany of antigovernment grievances as part of a bizarre episode that he livestreamed for a Facebook audience.
Floyd Ray Roseberry pleaded not guilty in federal court to charges that include threatening to use a weapon of mass destruction.
Last month, a man drove a black pickup truck onto the sidewalk outside the Library of Congress and began shouting to people in the street that he had a bomb
A witness also posted a picture to Twitter which showed the same man in a truck, after he tossed dollar bills out of the window
Floyd Ray Roseberry, 49, surrenders to police in Washington DC on Thursday after a five-hour standoff. He drove onto a sidewalk outside the Library of Congress and demanded to speak to Joe Biden
Monday was the first day that the high court was back in session. The justices are expected to decide on several high-profile and controversial topics.
Abortion, guns and religion all are on the agenda for a court whose panel of justices is comprised of six conservatives and three liberals.
The proceedings on Monday were held in person for the first time in 19 months due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh participated remotely from his home after testing positive for COVID-19 late last week, his voice echoing in the courtroom when he had a question to ask while his high-backed chair sat empty.
Kavanaugh, who was vaccinated in January, is showing no symptoms, the court said. All the other justices also have been vaccinated.
Monday was also the first time that new Justice Amy Coney Barrett participated in arguments in the courtroom, despite nearly a year on the court as its most junior member.
In April, a Capitol police officer was killed after a car smashed into a barrier on Independence Avenue
The driver of the car, Noah Green, 25, then got out of the vehicle and began wielding a knife. Police shot Green, who died at a hospital
Earlier this year, the National Guard and local law enforcement were on high alert in the nation's capital after the January 6 riot at the US Capitol.
Five people died in the riot, including Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who was among a badly outnumbered force trying to fight off insurrectionists who supported former President Donald Trump's bid to overturn the election.
Authorities installed a tall perimeter fence around the Capitol and for months restricted traffic along the roads closest to the building.
