Armed Michigan Man Arrested at US Capitol

Election night across America and in the swing state of Michigan was a stressful environment for everyone. According to U.S. Capitol Police via NBC Washington, they were able to prevent another stressful situation as the votes were being tallied nationwide on Election Night.

US Capitol Police say a Michigan man drove to the Capitol Monday, and according to the details of the story, he arrived with unsettling, though somewhat unclear, intentions on Tuesday.

The suspect, Austin M. Olsen, 28, of Westland, Mich., has been identified and faces charges of possession of a prohibited weapon, unlawful activities and disorderly conduct.

Allegedly, Olson arrived at the Capitol Visitor Center and went through a routine security screening. It's reported that during the screening suspicious items were found on his person and that he smelled of gasoline.

Police backtracked his movements and located his vehicle, which was cleared of any further threat.

Among the suspicious items were a manifesto, a letter to Congress, a flare gun, a torch lighter, and two bottles containing a flammable liquid - one of these bottles was leaking and smelled of gasoline. Authorities say the manifesto and letter mentioned the war in the Middle East.

According to the Capitol Police, Olsen smelled as though he had doused himself and his clothing with gasoline, though officials clarified he hadn't completely drenched himself in fuel.

“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 in a statement, via WOODTV 8. “All of our employees continue to work, together, around the clock during this heightened security environment.”

Still, Manger and the USCP don't know Olsen's full intent. He added, "There's no indication right now that it had anything to do with the election."

While certainly stressful, at the very least Americans and Michiganders can appreciate that there were no legitimate incidents of political violence of great concern. Certainly, there were delays and disruptions, but thankfully nothing as dangerous as what could have happened here unfolded.