U.S. Capitol Police arrested a California man Tuesday after discovering a guillotine in the bed of his pickup truck, which was parked illegally near the Capitol and Supreme Court buildings. The suspect, identified as Philan-Tam-Duy Le, 35, of Julian, California, had driven cross-country to Washington D.C.
Officers spotted Le's pickup truck parked in the 100 block of East Capitol Street shortly after 3 p.m. During the encounter, police observed the guillotine in the truck bed. The device was fully assembled and upright, according to images released by Capitol Police.
Le was arrested and charged with carrying a dangerous weapon. He also received a citation for illegal parking near the Supreme Court.
Investigators are looking into Le's background and his reasons for traveling to the nation's capital with the execution device. The guillotine, an instrument designed for beheading, features a heavy blade 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.
While owning a guillotine on private property is generally not illegal, bringing a dangerous weapon into federally protected areas is prohibited. The Capitol complex and Supreme Court grounds are subject to strict security regulations. The investigation is ongoing.