What did Ahmir Lavon Merrell do? Incident explored as a man carrying rifle arrested near the Capitol

21-year-old Ahmir Lavon Merrell was taken into custody on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, since he was allegedly carrying a firearm near the US Capitol. ABCNews reported that this arrest was the second one in the last three days for the same reason. Upon arrival, cops saw that Merrell was carrying a semi-automatic rifle.

Disclaimer: The article contains references to child molestation. Readers' discretion is advised.

Cops revealed crucial information regarding Merrell's part, the fact that he is a registered s*x offender in Georgia. He had been taken into custody in 2019 for child m*lestation charges. Capitol Police stated that they also investigated the 21-year-old man's belongings after the arrest.

---

Atlanta man Ahmir Lavon Merrell was asked to drop his firearm by the cops but had to be Tasered as he refused to let go of his rifle

On Tuesday, November 7, police arrested Merrell since he was walking with a rifle near the U.S. Capitol. U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger later confirmed the same. Authorities saw him and asked him to drop the weapon, but he failed to oblige. As a result, they had to use a taser on him and brought Merrell to a hospital. Manger said that the 21-year-old is possibly going through some mental health issues.

While cops revealed that they don't think Ahmir Lavon Merrell could be a danger or that he had a target that day, they agree it was a matter of concern since the incident happened near the U.S. Capitol. A preliminary charge of having a firearm will reportedly be filed against him.

Authorities released a statement that read,

"USCP Officers just arrested a man with a gun in the park across from Union Station. At this time, we have no reason to believe there is an ongoing threat. We are working to gather more information and will put out more details when they are confirmed."

---

Authorities believe that there is no threat as of now concerning Merrell

Upon checking the suspect's ID, authorities discovered he was originally from Atlanta. Further investigation revealed that Ahmir Lavon Merrell was also a registered s*x offender, as has been mentioned in the introduction. It was also stated that Merrell left a bag on a bench. However, upon inspection, nothing suspicious or questionable was found inside it.

Channel 2 Action News obtained court records that show that in 2019, Merrell was charged with child molestation, along with other s*x crime charges, in Fulton County. His mother claimed that he should have been in prison until he was 25 years of age, as he was the only one of her kids that was troublesome. Regarding the recent incident, cops said,

"At this time, we have no reason to believe there is an ongoing threat."

Ahmir Lavon Merrell has been charged with felon in possession of a firearm, unregistered ammunition, unregistered firearm, fugitive from justice, and unlawful activities. Police also discovered he was wanted in Georgia for allegedly violating his probation terms.