The DC Police announced on Sunday that they arrested Guy Berry, a 22-year-old Virginia man near the Capitol complex, with three high-capacity magazines, 37 rounds of unregistered ammunition, and a Glock 22 firearm, Washington Post reports.
A look at Berry’s social media account shows a photo from the January 6 Capitol insurrection on his Facebook page. In the photo, Berry wore a black cowboy hat while looking at the camera, with his hands folded at his chest. Behind were Trump’s 2020 election signs and billows of smoke. A peep through Berry’s Facebook timeline shows Trump’s rhetoric.
Berry’s aunt confirmed his arrest. However, she said she could attest to the fact that Berry was not a part of the demonstration at the Capitol since she saw him that same day. However, she said the suspect was a passionate Trump supporter and always in possession of his gun.
She said she had repeatedly warned him against carrying firearms openly, especially as a black man – a warning Berry apparently refused to heed. Berry’s aunt said since his arrest, she had not spoken to him.
Also, the US Capitol Police announced they arrested a woman for impersonating a police officer. She was accosted at a security checkpoint set up for Inauguration Day.
Law enforcement agencies, especially the FBI, had warned of the prospects of more violent demonstrations during inauguration week. However, the National Guard and various police departments were deployed to the US capital to keep the peace. Police officers and men of the National Guard could be seen at key government buildings.
Berry was arrested just after midnight at Massachusetts Avenue NE after he was seen with a firearm held by its holster. Officers were particularly alarmed when they noticed the firearm’s magazine. He was charged with carrying a gun without a license and possession of unregistered ammunition.
Records show that Berry was arrested in Charlottesville in 2017 and charged with a felony for shooting a firearm within 1,000 feet distance of a school. The case was later dropped because Berry was not involved in an altercation with anybody. However, that singular act ruined his chances of enlisting into the military. He had taken up driving trucks to earn a living and was supposed to resume work with a new gas company on Monday before his arrest, NY Times writes.
The woman arrested for impersonating a police officer was accosted at a checkpoint in First Street and Columbus Circle NE. To identify herself, she had presented military paraphernalia, usually given to military commanders. She said she was a law enforcement officer and drove off during questioning, which prompted officers to have her arrested.
Her charges include false impersonation of a law enforcement officer, failure to obey an officer, and fleeing from a law enforcement officer. After her arrest, she was evaluated for mental stability before being remanded in jail.
Earlier on Friday, the police announced that they had arrested one Wesley Allen Beeler, 31, a private security guard, when they found a firearm and ammunition in his truck. Beeler had been trying to enter an inauguration security checkpoint.
When interviewed, Beeler said he forgot that he had the gun in his truck after leaving his home in Virginia, where he is licensed. However, a source close to the matter said Beeler had no extremist records and had fully cooperated with law enforcement agents.
Source: washingtonpost.com
