U.S. Capitol Police pulled a man from a smoke-filled SUV after investigating a suspicious vehicle parked outside the Supreme Court on Tuesday, a day after the court reconvened for a new session.
A law enforcement team pulled a man, identified as Dale Paul Melvin, 55, from an SUV after an apparent controlled detonation.
"Everyone is safe," U.S. Capitol Police said. No weapons were found in the SUV.
About 9:30 a.m. Melvin illegally parked a Chevrolet Tahoe in front of the Supreme Court and refused to talk to officers, Capitol Police Deputy Chief Jason Bell said.
He appeared frustrated and said, "The time for talking is done," Capitol Police said in a statement.
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Melvin also refused to talk to crisis negotiation officers, Bell said.
About 11 a.m., Capitol Police said they moved to remove the man from the car, Bell said.
Video showed a puff of smoke rise from the front of the SUV after a loud bang resounded near the Supreme Court and U.S. Capitol. Seconds later, the SUV door opened and a man in a white shirt started to emerge as more smoke poured out of the vehicle.
Law enforcement, evidently wearing tactical gear, quickly surrounded him. Video shows the man being pulled out and put on the ground before law enforcement officers walked him out of the area.
People were asked to stay away from First Street NE and several other streets near the building, Capitol Police said. The roads later reopened.
Melvin was arrested for alleged assault on a police officer and failure to obey, police said. The department was continuing to investigate the SUV and a possible motive.
Police said Melvin was at the Capitol last August and made some concerning statements.
He is from rural Michigan, about 60 miles north of Detroit, police said.
Capitol Police are on high alert after supporters of former President Donald Trump breached the Capitol on Jan. 6, plus several other high-profile incidents near federal buildings this year.
In April, a U.S. Capitol Police officer died and another was badly injured when a man rammed a car into them at a barricade outside the Capitol. The suspect was fatally shot.
In August, a man drove a pickup truck onto a sidewalk outside the Library of Congress and claimed he had explosives, leading law enforcement to evacuate government buildings and nearby homes as they negotiated with the man.
The Supreme Court term that began Monday is set to include a number of hotly debated issues, including abortion, gun rights and taxpayer funding of religious schools.
Stay with NBC Washington for more on this developing story.
