A man arrested for having guns on U.S. Capitol grounds on his 80th birthday Wednesday says the incident was a mistake.
Tony H. Payne of Georgia was arrested and charged with unregistered firearm, unregistered ammunition and carrying a pistol without a license.
He was released after a court appearance Thursday in which he was ordered to stay away from the U.S. Capitol.
Payne told News4 he was helping a woman who wanted to file some documents with the U.S. Supreme Court.
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U.S. Capitol Police observed his van was parked illegally on Capitol grounds about 3:45 p.m. and asked him if he had any guns. He told them he did, and officers found two handguns and a shotgun in the van, police said.
Payne told News4 he is a patriotic, disabled Vietnam veteran who owns the guns legally in Georgia.
The woman he was with said her car broke down and she asked Payne for a ride to the Supreme Court to file the documents in a complicated, ongoing legal matter. She said she had filed the documents and returned to the van to find Payne and his grandson detained by police.
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Neither the woman nor Payne's grandson were arrested. Payne spent his birthday night in jail.
Payne said he plans to fight the charges.
East Capitol Street was closed between 1st and 3rd streets, 1st Street was closed between Constitution and Independence avenues, and 2nd Street was closed between Constitution and Independence avenues while police investigated the van Wednesday.
Police cleared the van about 6 p.m.
