A 35-year-old man from California found himself in handcuffs after U.S. Capitol Police discovered an unexpected item—a guillotine—in his pickup truck parked near Capitol Hill.
WASHINGTON — A potentially alarming situation unfolded when United States Capitol Police detained a man who was transporting a guillotine in his vehicle’s cargo area.
At approximately 3 p.m. on Tuesday, August 25, officers from the U.S. Capitol Police Department spotted a pickup truck parked unlawfully on the 100 block of East Capitol Street. This location is a high-security zone, stationed right in front of the Capitol building and near the Supreme Court Justice’s office, as detailed in an official press release.
Upon inspection, officers discovered a guillotine resting in the truck’s bed and promptly seized the apparatus. The truck’s owner, Philan-Tam-Duy Le from Julian, California, was arrested on charges related to possessing a dangerous weapon—namely, the guillotine.
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Authorities reported that Le made the cross-country journey to Washington, D.C. from California. U.S. Capitol Police detectives are now delving into his motives and the purpose of his visit to the nation’s capital.
A guillotine is an instrument for administering capital punishment by beheading and consists of a heavy blade mounted on a tall wooden frame. It was invented in late-18th Century France and became a symbol of the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution.
The Associated Press contributed.