Parachute Demo at Nationals Park Causes Capitol Evacuation
The U.S. Capitol building was briefly evacuated Wednesday evening after police identified an aircraft they said posed a "probable threat."
It was quickly discovered that the plane in question was carrying members of the U.S. Army Golden Knights, parachuting into Nationals Park for a pregame demonstration.
The U.S. Capitol Police evacuated the building around 6:30 PM.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a statement Wednesday night said the FAAs “apparent failure to notify Capitol Police of the pre-planned flyover Nationals Stadium is outrageous and inexcusable.”
Kelli LeGaspi, spokesperson for the U.S. Army Recruiting Command, behind the Golden Knights demonstration, released a statement saying, “We are reviewing all aspects of the event to ensure all procedures were followed appropriately to coordinate both the flight and the parachute demonstration.”
The capitol region is defended by several air-defense missile sites, however none of these defense systems were scrambled.