Officers interrupted what could have been a frightening scene on Wednesday (March 17) after detaining a man who was caught lurking near the vice president’s private residence in Washington, D.C. Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff weren’t at the location because they’ve been reportedly residing at Blair House while the vice presidential home undergoes renovations following the change of authority. A spokesperson for the Washington Metropolitan Police stated, “At approximately 12:12 pm, to the 3400 block of Massachusetts Avenue, NW in reference to a suspicious person based on an intelligence bulletin that originated from Texas, who was detained by US Secret Service.”
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A report by CNN states that authorities detained 31-year-old Paul Murray near the Naval Observatory, and upon inspection of his vehicle, they recovered an “AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, 113 rounds of unregistered ammunition, and five 30 round magazines.” The mention of the “Texas intelligence bulletin” suggests that authorities may have been aware that he may pose a threat.
Murray has been hit with several charges including “carrying a dangerous weapon, carrying a rifle or shotgun outside of a business, possession of unregistered ammunition, and possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device.” It’s unclear what his potential punishment would be or how long he will remain in police custody.