Metro Detroit Man Tries To Enter U.S. Capitol With Flare Gun, Torch, Fuel Bottles: Police

WASHINGTON D.C. — A metro Detroit man was arrested Tuesday after trying to get into the U.S. Capitol with a flare gun, a torch lighter and bottles of fuel, according to United States Capitol Police.

Austin Olson, 28, of Westland, was charged with possession of a prohibited weapon and unlawful activities and disorderly conduct.

Police said Olson walked into the Capitol Visitor Center at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, which was Election Day.

Officials ordered him to put his jacket and bag through the X-Ray machine, according to police.

Officials then spotted suspicious items on the x-ray and decided to hand search Olson, according to police.

During the search, officials recovered a flare gun, a torch lighter and two bottles of fuel, according to police.

Olson also smelled like he doused part of his clothing with fuel, according to police.

Officials also said Olson had a manifesto and a letter to congress, focusing on his opinions about the Middle East, according to police.

Officials then closed the Capitol Visitor Center and stopped public tours for the rest of the day, according to police.

Investigators tracked the Olson's prior movements, and knew he traveled to Washington, D.C., earlier in the week, according to police.

They also found his vehicle at a nearby intersection, and it was cleared by a K9 unit, according to police.

"If our officers did not stop this man, yesterday would have been a very different story than this one," U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger said. "All of our employees continue to work, together, around the clock during this heightened security environment."