Washington D.C. resident Ahmir Lavon Merrell, 22, was handed down a 24-month prison sentence for having an AR-style pistol and ammunition on the U.S. Capitol grounds last November. As reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office, the sentencing follows Merrell's guilty plea on April 23, to illegal receipt of a firearm by a person under indictment.
In addition to his prison time, Judge Christopher R. Cooper of the U.S. District Court mandated a three-year term of supervised release for Merrell, although no additional penalties were imposed, his earlier guilty plea may have yielded some leniency in sentencing. The arresting moment came when a bystander alerted a U.S. Capitol Police officer to a man with what seemed to be a gun, on November 7, 2023, at about 12:40 p.m.
The subsequent response by Capitol Police led to officers finding Merrell, armed with the weapon, equipped with a magazine. According to the official statement, when ordered to drop the gun, Merrell challenged the officers with menacing words: "[f]or you to get this gun from me, you are going to have to kill me." An officer then resorted to deploying a taser, causing Merrell to falter and release the firearm, thus enabling officers to apprehend him without any further complications.
Officers confiscated a Diamondback Arms AR-Style pistol, loaded with one .223 caliber round in the chamber and a 30-round high-capacity magazine containing, 26 rounds, from Merrell. This case stands as a reminder of the stringent security measures and the ever-vigilant nature of the Capitol Police in their mission to protect the area surrounding the U.S. Capitol.
