Michigan man accused of bringing lighter, fuel and manifesto to US Capitol on Election Day

A Westland, Michigan, man was arrested after authorities said he tried to get into the U.S. Capitol on Election Day while carrying a flare gun, torch lighter, bottles of fuel and what appears to be a manifesto.

U.S. Capitol Police said they also found a letter to Congress when they searched Austin M. Olson, 27, on Tuesday. The letter was focused on his opinion about the war in the Middle East, the Capitol Police said in a press release Wednesday.

Authorities said just before 12:30 p.m., a man later identified as Olson walked into the Capitol Visitor Center and into a line for the police screening process. Officers ordered him to put his jacket and bag through the X-ray machine and then spotted items that appeared suspicious on the X-ray.

The man was searched by hand, and officers found a flare gun, torch lighter and fuel. Olson smelled as if part of his clothing had been doused with fuel, the release said. A further search revealed the apparent manifesto and the letter to Congress.

Olson was handcuffed, moved outside to be interviewed, and arrested.

“If our officers did not stop this man, yesterday would have been a very different story than this one,” said U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger. “All of our employees continue to work, together, around the clock during this heightened security environment.”

The Visitor Center was closed during the investigation and public tours were stopped for the remainder of the day, authorities said.

Investigators tracked Olson's movements prior to his entry at the Capitol and located his sedan, parked at 9th Street and Maryland Avenue NE. The car was cleared by the Capitol Police K-9 Unit and the Hazardous Incident Response Division.

Authorities determined Olson had traveled to Washington from Michigan on Monday.

Capitol Police investigators are working to determine why he came to the Capitol with the items. He is facing charges for possession of a prohibited weapon, unlawful activities and disorderly conduct, authorities said.

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