Retired Cop Arrested Near U.S. Capitol After Being Found With Body Armor, Ammo, and Fake Interpol Badge

A retired New York cop was arrested on Friday morning while parked near the U.S. Capitol. Authorities found body armor, ammunition, and a BB gun on him.

June 3, 2022

Photograph of US Capitol building in DC — Image via Getty/Chip Somodevilla
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The U.S. Capitol was the site of an arrest on Friday morning.

According to a U.S. Capitol Police statement, a retired New York police officer was apprehended while parked close to the federal building, near Peace Circle on the West side of the Capitol, where he was sitting in a 2017 Dodge Challenger. He was in possession of a BB gun, as well as a fake badge, body armor, and ammunition, like high-capacity magazines.

Capitol Police arrested Jerome Felipe at around 5 a.m. At one point, he showed an officer a fake badge that read “Department of the Interpol.” The release says, “Felipe also made a statement that he was a criminal investigator with the agency.”

He permitted police to inspect his car, at which point they found the BB gun, two ballistic vests, and various ammunition. However, he wasn’t carrying any authentic firearms. He has now been hit with charges of unlawful possession of high-capacity magazines and unregistered ammunition. The reason why he was parked close to the Capitol is unknown. The 53-year-old is from Flint, Michigan.

In other news, arrests for the Jan. 6 Capitol riot are still ongoing. In May, an Oklahoma man was arrested for allegedly participating in the insurrection. His college fraternity brothers called in a tip to the FBI, saying that the man, 36-year-old Levi Roy Gable was posting clips on Facebook that appeared to have been taken from inside the Capitol. Gable was subsequently charged for illegally entering the Capitol and engaging in disruptive conduct.