Police say a 71-year-old man in West Virginia was arrested on a gun charge in Washington, DC, and was carrying a list of state and state lawmakers.
US Capitol Police arrested Dennis Westover of South Charleston at around 1:35 pm on Wednesday. He was charged with possession of a pistol without a license, possession of unregistered ammunition and illegal possession of a firearm.
“In defendant Westover’s car, the police located the defendant Westover’s will and birth certificate along with the Stop the Steal paperwork that had a list of United States and West Virginia senators and representatives and representatives, with contact information , “according to a deposition filed with the District Court of Columbia.
Police stopped Westover near the Armed Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial.
Westover had parked his car at an intersection closed by barrels of orange traffic on the fence that was erected to secure presidential tenure last week. He got out of the car and started walking. When a responding officer reached him, Westover “was excited” and “shouting at the guards inside the fence”.
The officer, Seth Carll, asked Westover what he was doing.
The official said Westover replied, “I wanted to see the fence that was around ‘my Capitol’.”
When asked if the car was his, Westover said yes and that he had been driving from Charleston since 5:30 am.
The officer asked to see Westover’s driver’s license. Westover replied that he had lost it, but instead had his birth certificate and Social Security card.
Then Westover was asked if he had a gun. He said he didn’t have one with him, but that there was a pistol in the vehicle’s center console. When asked if the pistol was loaded, he replied that there was nothing in the chamber, but that he had a magazine. Westover told the officer that he is licensed in West Virginia and believed that the license would be valid in DC as well.
Officials later determined that Westover had a black Sig Sauer 9 mm P365 pistol with a magazine inserted with ten cartridges. There was another magazine on the console with ten rounds. Officials determined that he did not have a valid weapon license for DC
A new search of the vehicle revealed the paperwork that included the list of lawmakers and their will.
He said when interviewing officials that “he was concerned about the honesty and integrity of the election and now he listens to both sides. He said that we have extreme opinions in this country and that, although he believes there was electoral fraud at this time, it is a debatable point. He said that the process I am engaged in is righteousness, justice and truth. “
Only with the District Court of Columbia released Westover today, saying “none of the statements [Westover made to police] they are threats, they are just points of view. “
Westover was ordered to stay out of Washington, DC, except for court hearings and meetings with his attorney. He filed an innocent plea for gun possession charges and has a status hearing on July 1.
Washington, DC, has been on the alert and the site of major security efforts since the Jan. 6 crowd stormed the Capitol in an attempt to stop counting electoral votes. The United States Department of Homeland Security published a bulletin today warning of the possibility of politically motivated violence by domestic extremists.
Facebook posts show photos of Westover taking part in the “Stop The Steal” rally on January 6 in Washington, DC, though none show him inside the Capitol building.
A video posted on Facebook shows that Westover also joined a small crowd of protesters at the West Virginia State Capitol on January 9.