U.S. Capitol Police arrest man with knives in a truck near DNC Headquarters

Photo by US Capitol Police

The U.S.Capitol Police on Monday arrested a man from California who had multiple knives in his truck, which had a swastika and other white supremacist symbols painted on it, near the Democratic National Committee headquarters.

Donald Craighead, 44, of Oceanside, California was arrested for possession of prohibited weapons.

Around midnight, a Capitol Police officer out on patrol noticed a Dodge Dakota pickup truck without a license plate but instead a picture of an American flag. The officer pulled over the truck and noticed a bayonet and machete, which are illegal in the District of Columbia.

The arrest comes while law enforcement officials are already bracing for potential clashes and unrest during an upcoming right-wing rally on Saturday in Washington, DC.

"This is good police work plain and simple," Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said in a statement. "We applaud the officers’ keen observation and the teamwork that resulted in this arrest."

The U.S. Capitol Police Investigations Division will continue its probe of the suspect. It was not immediately clear whether Craighead was planning to attend any upcoming demonstrations or if he has ties to any previous cases in the area, police said.