Guillotine Near Supreme Court Sparks Arrest

A California man drove a full-size guillotine across the country and parked it a block from the U.S. Supreme Court.

Quick Take

United States Capitol Police arrested Philan-Tam-Duy Le, 35, of Julian, California, on Tuesday after spotting a guillotine in his pickup truck bed.
The truck was parked along the 100 block of East Capitol Street, near the Supreme Court building.
Police charged Le with carrying a dangerous weapon, a broad federal offense covering unusual items brought onto Capitol grounds.
The device was seized as evidence, and no injuries or additional threats were reported.

Officers Spot Guillotine In Truck Bed

United States Capitol Police officers noticed the pickup truck just after 3 p.m. on Tuesday, August 25. It was parked along East Capitol Street, close to the Supreme Court building. Officers saw a guillotine sitting openly in the truck bed. Police say they moved quickly to detain the driver and secure the scene near the sensitive federal complex.

Capitol Police identified the driver as Philan-Tam-Duy Le, a 35-year-old man from Julian, California, a small mountain town in San Diego County. He was arrested on the spot. The department confirmed the arrest in a press release later that day, describing the discovery and the charge against him.

Charge Rests On Broad Weapons Law

Police charged Le with Carrying a Dangerous Weapon, a charge tied to federal rules that ban firearms, explosives, and other dangerous items on Capitol grounds. The law defines “dangerous weapon” broadly, covering far more than guns. That wide definition lets officers charge people over unconventional objects, like knives, swords, or in this case, a guillotine.

Capitol Police did not say in their release whether the guillotine was fully functional or built for display. They also did not say why Le had it in his truck or where he was headed. The department’s statement focused on the location, the timing, and the charge itself, not on his intent.

Not The First Odd Weapon Found Near Capitol

Capitol grounds have seen a range of unusual arrests tied to the same dangerous-weapons statute. Earlier this year, officers arrested a man carrying multiple guns, knives, and a bow and arrow near the complex. In July, another man was stopped at a north barricade with a handgun. The guillotine case fits a pattern of police treating unconventional items as serious threats when found near federal buildings.

The law Capitol Police used traces back to rules meant to keep weapons of all kinds off the Capitol campus, not just firearms. Courts and lawmakers have kept the definition wide on purpose, giving officers room to act on judgment calls. That flexibility means almost any object seen as a potential weapon can trigger an arrest, especially in a politically sensitive area.

Case Highlights Security Posture Near Federal Buildings

The arrest happened blocks from both the Capitol and the Supreme Court, two of the most heavily guarded sites in Washington. Security around these buildings has grown tighter in recent years after past incidents involving protesters and unauthorized items on the grounds. Officers now treat unfamiliar objects near these buildings as immediate concerns worth investigating on sight.

U.S. Capitol Police arrest a man who they say was carrying a guillotine in the bed of a pickup truck. https://t.co/7F4up17WxJ

— NBC News (@NBCNews) August 26, 2026

Le now faces a criminal charge stemming from the incident, and the guillotine remains in police custody as evidence. Capitol Police have not released further details about a motive or about what happens next in the case. The department’s original statement remains the fullest public account of what occurred that afternoon.