Capitol Police Arrest California Man with Bayonet and Machete Near DNC
WASHINGTON — A 44-year-old California man was arrested early Monday morning near the Democratic National Committee headquarters after U.S. Capitol Police discovered he had multiple knives and a machete in his truck.
“This is good police work plain and simple,” said U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger.
“We applaud the officers’ keen observation and the teamwork that resulted in this arrest,” Manger said.
According to the department, a special operation division officer was on patrol just after midnight this morning when he noticed a Dodge Dakota pickup truck with a swastika and other white supremacist symbols painted on it outside of the DNC headquarters.
The truck did not have a license plate. Instead, a picture of an American flag was placed where the license plate should have been, the account said.
The Capitol Police officer pulled the truck over along the 500 block of South Capitol Street, SW, and officers at the scene saw a bayonet and machete, which are illegal in Washington, D.C., inside the truck.
The driver, Donald Craighead of Oceanside, California was arrested for Possession of Prohibited Weapons.
Craighead reportedly told officers he was “on patrol” and began talking about white supremacist ideology and other rhetoric pertaining to white supremacy.
“This is an excellent example of the work our officers do every day,” said Operational Services Bureau Deputy Chief Jason Bell. “We are so proud of these officers for their vigilance.”
The USCP Investigations Division is continuing the investigation on the suspect.
At this time, it is not clear if he was planning to attend any upcoming demonstrations or if he has ties to any previous cases in the area.
