A Virginia man who showed police an unauthorized credential to attend an inauguration at a checkpoint along the perimeter of downtown Washington DC prior to Inauguration Day, was arrested after a gun and hundreds of rounds of ammunition in his vehicle, police said.
Wesley Allen Beeler of Front Royal pulled into a security checkpoint on North Capitol Street and E Street Northwest around 6:30 p.m. Friday in a white Ford 150 pickup with Virginia registration, according to records from the Capitol Police.
The truck that Beeler was driving was decorated with firearm decals, including those that read “Assault Life” and “If they come for your guns, give them the bullets first.”
Police say Beeler presented a credential that was not authorized. Authorities did not immediately provide further details on what kind of documentation the man allegedly tried to provide.
When the credential did not match a list of persons authorized to enter the perimeter of the inauguration, Capitol Police officers conducted further searches.
A gun with an inserted high-capacity magazine and ammunition was found in the vehicle, police said. The weapon was not registered in Washington DC, they added.
Police say they also found “509 9mm cartridges of ball and hollow point ammunition” and 21 12-gauge shotgun shells.
Beeler was arrested and taken to the United States Capitol Police Headquarters for his transfer. He is charged with carrying a concealed weapon, possession of an unregistered firearm, illegal possession of ammunition and possession of a large-capacity ammunition feeding device, according to DC police.
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