Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman Criminally Charged, Must Report to Police for Arraignment
Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York has been charged with a misdemeanor in connection with a fire alarm being pulled in a congressional office build last month.
A warrant was issued Wednesday charging Bowman with a misdemeanor count of falsely pulling a fire alarm — carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail.
Bowman will be arraigned Thursday in D.C. Superior Court, according to NBC.
The Sept. 30 incident came amid efforts by the House Republican majority to have a vote on a continuing resolution that would keep the government running.
JUST IN: Congressman Jamaal Bowman criminally charged for pulling the fire alarm on Capitol Hill.
Bowman must turn himself in on 10/26/2024 to be booked, fingerprinted, and given a mugshot. pic.twitter.com/VRvp1EWMbU
— Our Country Our Choice (@OCOCReport) October 25, 2023
The Capitol Police affidavit supporting the arrest warrant noted that after the alarm was pulled at the Cannon House Office Building, leading to an evacuation of the building, Capitol Police “observed security camera footage that resulted in a radio run for a lookout for a black male, bald, in a dark suit, dark tie, with a pin on their lapel.”
“The defendant advised that the doors stated, ’emergency exit only push to open,’ he pushed on the door and pulled the lever next to it, which must have been the alarm,” the affidavit said. “The defendant stated the door still did not open and he went to the first floor to exit. Your affiant asked the defendant if he heard alarm sounds or saw strobes and he stated ‘yes.’”
“The defendant was asked if he told anyone about this and the defendant stated he did not tell anyone, and that he was hurried because votes were called, and he did not want to miss the votes to keep the government funded,” the affidavit said.
The affidavit then noted that the doors did in fact proclaim it to be emergency exits only.
The affidavit also noted that “The red fire pull alarm located on the wall to the left of the doors, painted red with printed white lettering, states, ‘FIRE Push in Pull Down.’”
The affidavit said that according to security footage Bowman “proceeded to push the right-side exit door’s push bar while grabbing the sign on it. When the right-side door did not open, the defendant then pushed the left-side door push bar, but that door did not open either.
“The defendant then turned to his left, looked at the emergency fire alarm pull station, and upon seeing it, he reached out and pulled the fire alarm down.”
“Immediately afterwards, the defendant turned to his left, away from the exit doors. The defendant walked away from those doors without looking back at them or trying to push them open,” the affidavit said.
The affidavit noted that Bowman passed through the Rotunda of the Cannon Office Building and passed several Capitol Police officers without mentioning what he had done.
“Due to the defendant’s actions, the Cannon House Office Building was evacuated for approximately 1 ½ hours,” the affidavit said, adding, “Therefore, based upon the evidence, this affiant has probable cause to believe that the defendant willfully or knowingly gave a false fire alarm within the District of Columbia, in violation of D.C. Code § 22-1319(a).”
Bowman has said he was trying to push open a door and that hitting the alarm was inadvertent.
“I am responsible for activating a fire alarm, I will be paying the fine issued, and look forward to these charges being ultimately dropped,” he has said in a statement, according to the Daily Mail, adding that he planned to pay a $1,000 fine and issue an apology to have the charge dropped.
“I thought the alarm would open the door,” Bowman has said. “I was rushing to make a vote, I was trying to get to a door.”
Republican Rep. Bryan Steil of Wisconsin, who chairs the Administration Committee, has cast doubt on Bowman’s explanation.
“Bowman’s excuse does not pass the sniff test. After pulling the fire alarm, Rep. Bowman fled the scene, passed by multiple Capitol Police officers and had every opportunity to alert USCP of his mistake,” he said.
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