The US Secret Service has arrested an armed man alleged to have impersonated a police officer near the Congressional complex in Washington, DC, The Independent reports.
The suspect, Max Eli Viner, 37, was identified by US Capitol Police (USCP) and taken into custody for questioning on Monday evening around 6:20 pm after police were tipped off by USSS.
When police searched Viner, they found “multiple knives on him as well as a chainsaw blade”. The Secret Service also found “shell casings, a smoke grenade, and a gas mask inside the suspect’s Ford Explorer,’ the USCP said in a statement.
Capitol Police said Viner was first spotted near Constitution Avenue and 15th Street. He was later observed by an officer with the USCP’s Bicycle Response Team near the corner of Third Street and Madison Drive, NW.
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“The United States Secret Service quickly arrived on scene, searched the suspect’s SUV, and found fake police equipment. USSS officers also discovered shell casings, a smoke grenade and a gas mask inside the suspect’s Ford Explorer,” police said.
Viner is now facing charges of Impersonating a Law Enforcement Officer and Possession of a Prohibited Weapon within the District of Columbia, police said.
