Tenn. Man Charged With Federal Crimes in U.S. Capitol Confrontation

A Tennessee man shot by a Capitol police officer after police say he pointed a weapon at the officer in the U.S. Capitol building faces up to 55 years in prison on two federal charges. 

Larry Dawson, 66, of Antioch, Tennessee, faces charges of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees with a dangerous weapon and assaulting a federal law enforcement officer with a dangerous weapon, the U.S. Attorney's Office said Thursday.

Court documents said he passed through a metal detector twice before the shooting Monday and it alerted he had metal near his waist both times.

United States Capitol Police Officer Quincy Brisco then screened Dawson with a handheld metal detector wand, again indicating metal near his right waist. Dawson pulled a BB gun and pointed it at Officer Brisco the documents state.

Both Officer Brisco and Officer Jerry Smith pulled their guns and several officers told Dawson to drop the gun and put up his hands. Officer Smith shot Dawson twice, Dawson slumped over, and the doors to the facility were locked, according to the documents.

It has not been decided when Dawson will appear in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

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