Man arrested after driving on grass near Capitol amid heightened concerns over vehicle attacks

The U.S. Capitol Police arrested a man who was found driving a vehicle on a sidewalk near the Capitol, according to a Thursday social media post.

“Before 10 a.m., our officers spotted a car that had been driving along the sidewalk, near Peace Circle, and into the grassy area near Third Street, NW, & Constitution Avenue,” the department said in the post. “Officers took the man into custody.”

In a statement later, the department said the man was a telecommunications employee doing work in the area.

He has been charged with reckless driving, but was deemed not to be a threat to the Capitol complex. “Driving on the sidewalk is never a good idea – especially anywhere near the U.S. Capitol Building,” said Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger.

The arrest comes on the heels of a terrorist attack involving a vehicle in New Orleans that killed at least 15 people and an explosion outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas involving a Cybertruck that killed a person.

Security is already visibly heightened around the Capitol ahead of the swearing in of new members on Friday and the election of a speaker, as well as the certification of President-elect Donald Trump's win on Monday. Fencing lines the outside perimeter of the Capitol complex.