Ahmir Lavon Merrell, 21, of Atlanta, Georgia, United States is in Washington, D.C., United States. He is a registered sex offender in Georgia with a warrant for a probation violation out of the state.
At around 12:40 p.m. on November 7, 2023, Merrell was allegedly armed with a rifle while walking in the park across from Union Station near the U.S. Capitol and U.S. Senate office buildings in Washington, D.C. A citizen saw him and alerted a U.S. Capitol Police officer, who then called for backup.
The officers spotted Merrell carrying a rifle in one hand and demanded that he drop the gun but he refused. The rifle is similar to an AR-15.
An officer used a Taser stun gun to subdue Merrell. The officers seized his rifle and arrested him.
For around 2 hours, the area across from Union Station were closed as officers searched the area and Merrell’s belongings. No other firearms were found.
“‘See something, say something’ is not just an empty slogan,” U.S. Capitol Police chief Tom Manger stated. “We are grateful for the individual who alerted our officer to the man with a gun in the park. These cops immediately ran toward the man with the loaded gun. As always, I am proud of our cops.”
Merrell was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, being a fugitive from justice, possession of an unregistered ammunition, possession of an unregistered firearm and unlawful activities. Why he went to Washington, D.C. is still unknown.
CONAN Daily 