{"id":2321417,"date":"2024-08-08T18:02:02","date_gmt":"2024-08-08T22:02:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/man-who-brought-ar-style-rifle-near-capitol-sentenced-to-two-years-in-prison-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-08T18:03:52","modified_gmt":"2024-08-08T22:03:52","slug":"man-who-brought-ar-style-rifle-near-capitol-sentenced-to-two-years-in-prison-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/man-who-brought-ar-style-rifle-near-capitol-sentenced-to-two-years-in-prison-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Man who brought AR-style rifle near Capitol sentenced to two years in prison &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fman-who-brought-ar-style-rifle-near-capitol-sentenced-to-two-years-in-prison-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2321417&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A\u2064 22-year-old man named\u200c Ahmir Lavon Merrell has been sentenced \u200bto two years in \u200cprison for bringing\u2062 an AR-style rifle and 73 rounds of \u2064ammunition to \u200dthe Capitol grounds last fall. Merrell pleaded guilty to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/myanmars-ousted-pro-democracy-leader-suu-kyi-faces-new-charge\/\" title=\"Myanmar\u2019s Ousted Pro-Democracy Leader Suu Kyi Faces New Charge\">illegal possession<\/a> of a firearm earlier this year. In addition to the prison \u200dterm, U.S. District Court Judge Christopher\u2062 Cooper ordered him to serve three years of supervised release\u2064 following his sentence. The incident was reported to Capitol Police last November\u200c when a passerby approached an officer with concerns about Merrell&#8217;s actions.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Man who brought AR-style rifle near Capitol sentenced to two years in prison<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1726250\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>A 22-year-old man who brought a <a href=\"https:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/guns\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>firearm<\/a> near the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/us-capitol\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Capitol<\/a> has been sentenced to two years in prison.<\/p>\n<p>Ahmir Lavon Merrell brought the AR-style rifle and 73 rounds of ammunition to the Capitol grounds last fall. Earlier this year, Merrel pleaded guilty to one count of illegal receipt of a firearm.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to two years in prison, U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper ordered Merrell to serve three years of supervised release,&nbsp;according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-justice\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Department of Justice<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-dc\/pr\/district-man-sentenced-possessing-ar-style-pistol-and-ammunition-us-capitol-grounds\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Last November, someone approached a Capitol Police officer regarding a man who looked to be holding a gun on Capitol grounds. When officers approached him at a park near Washington, D.C.&rsquo;s, Union Station, they demanded he put the gun down, but he refused. An officer used a stun gun on him, and he fell to the ground, where he was arrested.<\/p>\n<p>Merrell said &ldquo;words to the effect of &lsquo;[for] you to get this gun from me, you are going to have to kill me,&rsquo;&rdquo; according to the DOJ.<\/p>\n<p>During the arrest, police officers recovered a Diamondback Arms AR-Style rifle loaded with one .<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrat-introduces-gun-control-bill-psych-evaluations-ammo-bans-federal-gun-registry\/\" title=\"Democrat Introduces Gun Control Bill: Psych Evaluations, Ammo Bans, Federal Gun Registry\">223 caliber round<\/a> in the chamber and equipped with a 30-round high-capacity ammunition feeding device containing 26 rounds.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Straightforward as this case may appear at first blush, however, in many ways this is a unique gun possession case. The facts and circumstances clearly show that Mr. Merrell did not possess a firearm in order to commit any other crimes,&rdquo; A.J. Kramer, Merrell&rsquo;s public defender, said. &ldquo;He did not possess it to threaten or harm anyone. Tragically, the only person he wanted to harm that day was himself.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Kramer said Merrell will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bail-agent-arrested-for-killing-man-with-no-warrants-in-front-of-cops\/\" title=\"Bail Agent Arrested For Killing Man With No Warrants In Front Of Cops\">seek mental health treatment<\/a> while behind bars.<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1726250\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1726250\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A 22-year-old man has been sentenced to two years in prison for bringing an AR-style rifle near the Capitol. Ahmir Lavon Merrell carried the firearm and 73 rounds of ammunition onto Capitol grounds last fall. He pleaded guilty earlier this year to a charge of illegal receipt of a firearm. In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper mandated that Merrell undergo three years of supervised release, as stated in a Department of Justice press release.<\/p>\n<p>Last November, a Capitol Police officer was alerted by someone about a man appearing to hold a gun on the grounds. When officers confronted him at a park close to Washington, D.C.&#8217;s Union Station, he refused their orders to drop the weapon. An officer deployed a stun gun on him, leading to his arrest after he fell to the ground. According to the DOJ, Merrell reportedly said something along the lines of &#8220;to get this gun from me, you are going to have to kill me.&#8221; During his arrest, police found a Diamondback Arms AR-style rifle loaded with one .223 caliber round in its chamber and equipped with a high-capacity magazine containing 26 rounds.<\/p>\n<p>A.J. Kramer, Merrell&#8217;s public defender, noted that while this case may seem straightforward at first glance, it is unique regarding gun possession laws. He emphasized that Merrell did not intend to use the firearm for any criminal activity or harm others; rather tragically, he seemed intent on harming himself that day. Kramer mentioned that Merrell plans to seek mental health treatment while incarcerated<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2910,"featured_media":2321418,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/child-tax-credit.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[37587,4172,12447,32076],"class_list":["post-2321417","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-ar-style-rifle","tag-capitol","tag-sentencing","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/child-tax-credit.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2321417","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2910"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2321417"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2321417\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2321418"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2321417"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2321417"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2321417"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}