Front Royal Man Arrested After Trying to Get Through DC Checkpoint

By Brian Carlton

January 16, 2021

Police found 509 rounds of hollow point 9mm ammunition and shotgun shells inside Front Royal man’s vehicle.

WASHINGTON DC-A Front Royal man has been banned from Washington DC for the next six months, after trying to get through a checkpoint near the U.S. Capitol. 

According to court documents, the incident happened Friday at 6:30 p.m., as 31-year-old Wesley Beeler drove up to the checkpoint at the corner of N. Capitol Street NW and E Street NW. Officers at the scene reported that he handed over an inauguration credential, asking to get into a restricted area. However, after they compared it against the access list, Beeler wasn’t authorized to get inside. 

The officers also noticed several firearm-related decals on his Ford F-150 truck. “If they come for your guns, give them your bullets first” was on the vehicle’s rear windshield, along with the words “assault life.” Officers asked if he had anything inside the vehicle that could harm them and Beeler said he had a Glock 9mm under the center armrest. The officers put Beeler in handcuffs and searched the vehicle. In addition to the Glock, they found 509 rounds of hollow point 9mm ammunition. Twenty-one 12-gauge shotgun shells, stored in a bandolier, were also found in plain sight in the truck bed. 

At that point, the officers took Beeler into custody. A quick search found he didn’t have a license to carry a pistol in Washington. Beeler also didn’t have the Glock registered there. As a result, officers charged Beeler with carrying a pistol without a license.

RELATED: Rocky Mount Officers Charged in Capitol Attack

Beeler Ordered to Stay Away

Beeler went before DC Superior Court Judge Fern Saddler on Saturday. The argument was that he had been working for Maryland-based MVP Security when he tried to get inside the restricted area. However, no further details were provided or questions asked in the hearing. Calls to Beeler’s assigned lawyer were also not returned by publication.

Saddler did two things in the hearing. First, she set a June 18 court date for the case. She then released Beeler on his personal recognizance, adding a ‘stay away’ order. That means Beeler is to stay away from the District until his court date.

The incident comes as Washington D.C. prepares for President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration this Wednesday. National Guard units from multiple states, including Virginia, have been brought in to offer protection in the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.

Brian Carlton is Dogwood’s managing editor. You can reach him at [email protected].

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