A man with a modified gun was arrested Sunday after a car crashed into a barrier near the U.S. Capitol, police say. Court documents show he was out of jail on supervised release after a previous gun charge.
In a story you’ll see only on News4, U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger pointed to a larger problem.
A Capitol Police officer noticed the driver of a white Infiniti idling at a green light along Massachusetts Avenue NE near Union Station just after 2 a.m. Sunday. The officer tried to pull over the driver, suspecting he might be impaired. But the driver sped off and crashed into a Capitol complex barrier.
The driver and passenger ran away but were eventually caught. In the process, Capitol police say they seized two modified guns: one with an extended magazine and the other with what’s known as a giggle switch. Installed on a gun, it “pretty much makes it an automatic weapon,” Manger said.
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The suspects were identified as Ricardo Glass and Onosetale Okojie, both 20. They face multiple charges, including unlawful possession of a machine gun and possession of a large-capacity ammunition-feeding device.
In August 2021, the U.S. Attorney’s Office indicted Glass, charging him with possession of a machine gun. Included in the filings against him were screenshots from YouTube videos in which prosecutors say Glass bragged about the weapons.
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Court documents show Glass pleaded guilty in December 2022 and was sentenced to 24 months.
But due to time already served, he was out on supervised release by the time he was arrested again on Sunday.
“It is concerning when you’ve got folks who have been arrested before for pretty much the same thing, where they have had weapons taken off of them in the past,” Manger said.
The Capitol Police chief said he’s concerned about crime and the District and that all facets of law enforcement need to work together.
“It’s not just about what the police do. It’s about what the courts do, what corrections do, what judges do, what prosecutors do. I think all of us have a role to look at what we’re doing. Are there some things that we can put into place to help keep our communities safer?” Manger said.
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Capitol Police say they have seized more than 30 guns so far this year. Last year, they seized more than 40.
