News Release

Man Drives Truck onto National Mall

Date: May 17, 2016

Washington – On May 17, 2016 a man drove his truck, a white, four-door pickup, onto the National Mall between 3^rd and 4^th Streets Northwest claiming that he had been exposed to anthrax. The man had called the United States Capitol Police to warn of the exposure and that he had anthrax with him in the vehicle.

After exiting the vehicle, he was checked for exposure to anthrax. The test results were negative. As a safety precaution he and the officers who made contact him went through a decontamination procedure.

The man allegedly saw the substance being spread on a field in Virginia, thought it was a threat to people, and collected the substance in order to warn others of the danger. He never threatened anyone and has been compliant throughout the incident.

At this point, the road closures remain in place while we determine the status of the truck. Together with DC Fire and EMS, the United States Capitol Police, and the Metropolitan Police Department, we are working to make sure that there is no threat to public safety.