Man Trying to Make a Point Arrested for Landing Gyrocopter on Capitol Grounds
Police in Washington, D.C. arrested a man on Wednesday for landing a small plane near the Capitol.
The Capitol was briefly placed on lockdown. The area around the Capitol is a no-fly zone.
The Tampa Bay Times reports the pilot is Doug Hughes, 61. Hughes, a postal worker, was reportedly not trying to perform a terrorist act; rather, he wanted to call attention to the need for campaign finance reform.
One of Hughes' friends called the Secret Service and told the Times, "He's not a suicide bomber, he's a patriot." The friend also said Hughes contacted him Wednesday morning to let him know he was in Washington set to take off in the gyrocopter.
Hughes has also told the Times, "There's no question that we need government, but we don't have to accept that it's a corrupt government that sells out to the highest bidder."
Here's a video of Hughes from the Times in which he explains his plans.