Man arrested with gun at checkpoint

Washington, Jan. 17: A man with a loaded handgun and more than 500 rounds of ammunition has been arrested in Washington at a security checkpoint near the US Capitol, authorities said.

Wesley Allen Beeler, of Virginia, had driven to a checkpoint on Friday evening and tried to use a phony credential to access the restricted area where President-elect Joe Biden will be inaugurated next week, according to a document filed in Washington, DC Superior Court.

As officers checked against an authorised access list, one of them noticed decals on the back of Beeler's pick-up truck that said “Assault Life,” with an image of a rifle, and another with the message: “If they come for your guns, give 'em your bullets first.” Under questioning, Beeler told officers he had a Glock handgun in the vehicle.

A search uncovered a loaded handgun, more than 500 rounds of ammunition, shotgun shells and a magazine for the gun, the court document said. Beeler was arrested on charges including possession of an unregistered firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition, a police report said.

Following his arrest, Beeler said it was “an honest mistake” and that he was

17: a private security guard who got lost on his way to work near the Capitol.

Washington is under a high state of alert ahead of Biden's Wednesday inauguration, after a mob of President Donald Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol on January 6.

Five people died in the assault, including a police officer.