Law enforcement arrested a man in Washington, D.C., at a checkpoint, whom officials said had a firearm, hundreds of bullets, and was not authorized to be there. The accused man called it an “honest mistake,” and he was released on personal recognizance and an order to keep away from the area.
Wesley Beeler was arrested Friday on charges of allegedly carrying a pistol without a license, possession of an unregistered firearm, and possession of unregistered ammunition, according to the Washington Post, which cited court documents. The arrest was made as Beeler attempted to pass through a police checkpoint near the Capitol building.
Beeler, who is from Front Royal, Virginia, presented “a non-government issued” credential, and an officer determined that he was “not authorized to enter the restricted area” with it, according to his charging papers. As his credentials were being checked, another officer noticed the bumper stickers on the truck’s windows, which read, “Assault Life,” and “If they come for your guns, giv ‘em your bullets first,” police said.
He said the incident was an “honest mistake,” after he was released, in a Washington Post interview. Beeler also said that he had been working as hired security in D.C. ahead of the inauguration and that on Friday, he was running late to work and forgot the firearm was in his truck. He said that he has a license to carry the weapon in his home state of Virginia. He denied the allegation that he had more than 500 rounds of ammunition in his vehicle.
“I pulled up to a checkpoint after getting lost in D.C. because I’m a country boy,” he said. “I showed them the inauguration badge that was given to me.”
He was also asked by police if he had any weapons, and Beeler told him that he had a Glock semiautomatic pistol in the center console.
The gun was allegedly loaded with 17 rounds of bullets, with one in the chamber ready to fire. Police reportedly recovered the gun and more than 500 rounds of ammunition, some of which were hollow point, and nearly two dozen shotgun shells were “located in plain sight in the rear cargo area of the vehicle.”
“It was just me forgetting to take it out of my truck before I left for work. I don’t know what the D.C. laws are. It still comes back on me, but I’m not a criminal,” Beeler said.
Beeler’s parents said that their son is an Air Force veteran and a private security contractor who had been going to work in downtown Washington, D.C., in recent weeks.
They expressed disbelief in response to the charges.
“I don’t believe that,” his mother, Charlotte Beeler, said, while his wife, Noelle Beeler, said everyone’s fear at the news of a man’s arrest with a weapon and a cache of ammunition was “understandable.”
Beeler also said that he’s had numerous security assignments previously.
Government and law enforcement officials are on high alert ahead of Biden’s inauguration, which will be on Wednesday. A group made up mostly of President Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol as Congress sought to certify Biden’s victory, and the ensuing violence resulted in five deaths and dozens of arrests. There has been chatter of additional violence set to happen nationwide in the days leading up to the inauguration.
An internal FBI bulletin is reportedly warning that armed protests are planned at all 50 state capitols in the United States and the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., as Inauguration Day draws near.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated with additional details following Beeler’s arrest and release, including his comments. Previous reports stated Beeler had fake inaugural credentials, but that has been corrected to unauthorized credentials for entry.
