Woman Pretended To Be Cabinet Member Near Capitol, Cops Said

WASHINGTON, DC — A woman at an inauguration checkpoint in Washington, DC Saturday morning claimed to be a police officer and member of the presidential cabinet, according to authorities.

Linda Magovern, 63, of Stratford, Connecticut was charged with false impersonation of a police officer, failure to obey an officer and fleeing a law enforcement officer after approaching the inauguration perimeter at Columbus Circle and First Street NE, a report from the Metropolitan Police Department states.

The arrest came just four days before the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. The area is under an intense microscope, with gates around the Capitol area and National Guard members already stationed there in the wake of the Jan. 6 riot and concerns of violence erupting in the days leading up to the inauguration.

Police said Magovern was showing "a round metallic object later identified as a Military Police Challnge Coin," according to the police report. These items are used by police and members of the military to note achievement, according to NBC Washington.

Magovern is accused of saying she is "a part of the presidential cabinet," according to the report.

She fled briefly after an officer asked for her license and was also charged with failure to obey and fleeing a law enforcement officer, the report states.