A California man drove to Washington, D.C., with a guillotine in the bed of his pickup truck before an illegal parking job caught the attention of U.S. Capitol Police.
Officers noticed the truck shortly after 3 p.m. Tuesday along the 100 block of East Capitol Street, according to a U.S. Capitol Police press release.
There was a guillotine sitting in the truck bed.
Police arrested the driver, identified as 35-year-old Philan-Tam-Duy Le of Julian, California, on a charge of carrying a dangerous weapon.
Long Haul
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The Capitol Police post included photographs of the pickup and the device officers seized.
One photograph shows a tall wooden structure standing upright in the pickup bed, with its frame extending well above the truck’s cab.
Le had driven to Washington from California, police said.
That leaves considerably more distance explained than motive.
Still Looking
Capitol Police said they were going through Le’s backpack and investigating why he came to Washington.
Police were also working to determine why he was transporting the guillotine.
The agency did not announce that Le had threatened anyone or identify a political target in its release Tuesday. The stated charge stemmed from possession of the guillotine, which Capitol Police classified as a dangerous weapon.
The investigation remained ongoing Tuesday night.