Two security incidents occur at Supreme Court in same hour - CBS News

Man arrested successful suspicious conveyance adjacent Supreme Court

Man arrested successful suspicious conveyance adjacent Supreme Court 01:08

There were 2 information incidents astatine the U.S. Supreme Court successful the aforesaid hr Wednesday, CBS News has learned. 

Minutes before guns were seized from a Georgia man's van adjacent the Supreme Court analyzable Wednesday afternoon, a California antheral was arrested for claiming helium had "higher authority" and attempting to unlawfully participate the precocious court's northbound door.  

According to newly filed tribunal documents obtained by CBS News, Melvin Marbrey, 73, told Supreme Court constabulary helium was astatine the Court to conscionable with Chief Justice John Roberts and "would not permission (until) helium was allowed into the building."  According to a constabulary affidavit, Marbrey falsely identified himself arsenic having "higher authority" and showed a legislature study arsenic alleged proof. He told officers, "I'm going wrong oregon you bash what you person to do."

Marbrey was arrested astatine 3:09 p.m. Wednesday, minutes earlier a abstracted information scare, successful which constabulary said they recovered guns successful the car of Tony Payne, 80, who was arrested and facing weapons charges. Marbrey's charging documents bash not instantly bespeak immoderate transportation betwixt the men.

During a tribunal quality Thursday afternoon, Marbrey said helium planned to instrumentality to the Supreme Court upon his release. During the proceedings, Marbrey invoked sovereign national language, successful which helium questioned the authorization of the tribunal and the Justice Department. When asked to place his defence lawyer by the court, Marbrey responded, "My lawyer is the lawyer wide of the United States. It's Merrick Garland. This tribunal has nary authority."

The judge issued a stay to bid him distant from the Supreme Court, to which Marbrey responded, "I'm not going to enactment away. I'm going determination now."  He added, "I'm asking you merchandise maine close now."

Meanwhile, Tony H. Payne, whose achromatic minivan was allegedly stopped oregon searched, astatine astir 3:43 p.m. connected Wednesday was expected to look successful D.C. Superior Court Thursday afternoon. 

Several guns were recovered and 3 radical were detained erstwhile authorities investigated the conveyance adjacent the Capitol, U.S. Capitol Police said Wednesday. The 3 told officers they were determination to present documents to the Supreme Court, Capitol Police said.  

Payne, 80, of Tunnel Hill, Georgia, was aboriginal arrested connected weapons charges, Capitol constabulary said, and his big grandson was turned implicit to D.C. Disability Services. A pistillate who was with them was detained and released.  

Payne is expected to look 3 charges: unregistered firearm, unregistered ammunition, and carrying a pistol without a license, Capitol Police said.

According to Capitol Police, officers noticed a achromatic van was illegally parked and a constabulary canine alerted the officers, prompting a search. One of the men told officers helium had guns, which are inactive banned connected Capitol grounds.

Officers recovered 2 handguns and a shotgun successful the vehicle, Capitol Police said, on with a tube and containers. A hazmat squad was besides called successful to hunt the van.  

The adjacent Supreme Court was not unfastened connected Wednesday, but the country has been nether heightened security. An eight-foot obstruction that had been erected astir the tribunal aft respective justices received threats this outpouring was  removed successful August.