GA Man Charged After Guns Found In Vehicle Stopped Near U.S. Capitol

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Capitol Police officers arrested an 80-year-old Georgia man after two handguns and a shotgun were found inside his van Wednesday near the U.S. Capitol.

Around 3:45 p.m., Capitol Police officers noticed a small, white van was illegally parked along the 100 block of East Capitol Street. The driver — Tony H. Payne, 80, of Tunnel Hill, Georgia — told officers he had guns in the van, according to a news release. A K-9 also alerted on the vehicle.

Payne, another man, and a woman were all detained during the search. Officers found the three guns inside the van.

The detainees told investigators they were there to deliver documents to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Payne was charged with unlawful activities for bringing the weapons to Capitol Grounds, the police agency said.

Weapons are banned from Capitol Grounds, yet dozens of people are arrested each year for violating the law, authorities said.

A pipe and containers were also found in the vehicle, so the agency's Hazardous Incident Response Division searched and cleared the van.

A woman and another man were briefly detained, but were not arrested.

Several nearby roads were closed near the U.S. Capitol, the U.S. Supreme Court and the Library of Congress were closed as police investigated.