Capitol Police officers arrested Michael Hopkins, a staffer for Rep. Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) at the U.S. Capitol on Dec. 2.
Officers manning a checkpoint saw on the X-ray screen what appeared to be ammunition in a bag being screened, the Capitol Police said.
“After a hand search of the bag, officers found four ammunition magazines and eleven rounds of ammunition. The staffer told the officers that he forgot the ammunition was in the bag,” said the agency, which is responsible for keeping members of Congress and congressional buildings safe.
Hopkins, 38, was arrested and is facing charges of illegally possessing ammunition, including possession of a high-capacity magazine, according to the Capitol Police.
Visitors to the Capitol are barred from carrying guns, ammunition, replica guns, and electric stun guns, among other items. Visitors are subjected to magnetometers before entering the complex.
Hopkins did not respond to a request for comment by publication time.
A spokesperson for Morelle’s office told news outlets in a statement that the congressman was made aware of the arrest.
“This morning, our office was informed that a member of our staff was arrested by Capitol Police. We are currently gathering more information regarding the circumstances of the arrest,” the spokesperson said.
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