Man Arrested Outside Supreme Court on Weapons Charges

An octogenarian from Georgia was arrested Wednesday by Capitol Police for possessing firearms after illegally parking on Capitol grounds.

Eighty-year-old Tony Payne of Tunnel Hill was charged with having an unregistered firearm with ammunition and carrying a pistol without a license.

The Washington Examiner further reported:

The driver, identified as 80-year-old Tony Payne of Tunnel Hill, Georgia, told Capitol Police officers he had guns in the van, and a K-9 also “hit” on the vehicle, the statement noted.

The driver, another man, and a woman were all detained during the search, and officers found two handguns and a shotgun inside the van, Capitol Police said.

“The individuals told our investigators they were here to deliver documents to the U.S. Supreme Court,” the statement said. “A pipe and containers were also found in the van, so the USCP Hazardous Incident Response Division did a thorough search and cleared the van.”

Payne has been charged with “Unregistered Firearm, Unregistered Ammunition, and Carrying a Pistol without a License,” while the other two were briefly detained but not arrested, according to the statement.

Before issuing a correction, the Capitol Police said Payne had been charged with “40 U.S. Code § 5104 — Unlawful activities — for bringing the weapons to Capitol Grounds.”

“Weapons are banned from Capitol Grounds, yet dozens of people are arrested each year for violating the law,” a police spokesperson said in a statement.