D.C. cops destroy pressure cooker in suspicious vehicle

A U.S. Capitol Police spokeswoman says a bomb squad safely destroyed a pressure cooker found in a “suspicious” vehicle left unattended near the Capitol Building on Sunday and that the vehicle’s owner has been arrested. The unoccupied vehicle was spotted on a street on the National Mall west of the Capitol, and an odor of gasoline was also detected. A bomb squad “disrupted the items of concern in the vehicle including the pressure cooker” — basically exploding it — producing a loud bang at about 7:45 p.m. Nothing dangerous was found in the car. The vehicle’s owner, Israel Shimeles of Alexandria, Va., was located, arrested and charged with “operating after revocation,” and was being processed at Capitol Police headquarters.

If we can’t determine whether or not an item is safe/dangerous, we’d have to treat it as dangerous until we determine otherwise.

Lt. Kimberly A. Schneider, Capitol Police spokeswoman

US News