Police arrest man trying to enter the Capitol with a hammer

“These officers did what they were trained to do and stopped this man from getting into the U.S. Capitol,” USCP Captain Andrew Pecher said.

By Natalia Mittelstadt

Published: March 8, 2024 6:28pm

Capitol Police on Friday arrested a man who attempted to bring a hammer into the Capitol building, charging him with assault on an officer.

At around 3:40 p.m. on Friday, 33-year-old Christopher Snow of Canton, Ohio, was going through security at the Capitol Visitor Center when an officer saw a hammer in his backpack through an X-ray machine.

When the officer went to look inside the bag, Snow tried to grab his backpack “and became combative,” according to U.S. Capitol Police.

Several officers tried to stop Snow and a struggle broke out, resulting in officers using a taser to take him into custody.

“These officers did what they were trained to do and stopped this man from getting into the U.S. Capitol,” USCP Captain Andrew Pecher said in a statement. “Great work from the officer who spotted the hammer, to the officers who quickly took the suspect into custody.”

The Senate is currently in session.