Atlanta man arrested with gun near U.S. Capitol faces numerous charges

Washington — An Atlanta man is facing numerous charges after he was found in a park near the U.S. Capitol carrying an "AR-style" pistol Tuesday, according to court records.

The suspect, identified by law enforcement as 21-year-old Ahmir Lavon Merrell, was arrested by U.S. Capitol Police after a witness alerted officers to a man with a gun walking in the park across from Union Station near the Capitol complex. 

When an officer approached Merrell, he saw that he was holding "a black in color AR-style with a magazine inserted into the gun," according to a charging document filed with the District of Columbia Superior Court. The gun was identified as a Diamondback Arms AR-Style Pistol, and inserted in the weapon was a 30-round high-capacity ammunition feeding device that contained 26 rounds, court documents show.