US Capitol Police arrest man with guillotine in pickup truck

• A 35-year-old man was arrested near the US Capitol with a full-scale guillotine in his pickup truck and charged with carrying a dangerous weapon.
• The guillotine was seized, and police are investigating the man's background and reasons for coming to Washington.
• The man's brother said the guillotine was a symbol of disapproval and that he did not intend to harm anyone.

WASHINGTON - A 35-year-old man with a full-scale guillotine in the bed of his pickup truck has been arrested in Washington, police said.

Philan-Tam-Duy Le was taken into custody on Aug 25 and charged with “carrying a dangerous weapon,” the US Capitol Police said in a statement.

Le’s pickup truck was illegally parked on a street near the US Supreme Court building and the US Capitol at the time of his arrest.

Police said they seized the guillotine.

It was not clear if it was operational.

Le is from Julian, California, and drove to the nation’s capital, police said.

“Investigators are going through the suspect’s background to learn more about why he came to Washington,” they said.

Kelvin Le, Le’s older brother, told the Los Angeles Times that the guillotine was probably intended as a “symbol of disapproval.”

His brother was not a fan of either major US political party and disliked both US President Donald Trump, a Republican, and California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, he told the newspaper.

“I don’t think he’d hurt anyone,” he added. AFP