Parachute demo at Nationals Park causes brief evacuation of US Capitol

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Capitol Police ordered the evacuation of the Capitol complex on Wednesday evening, saying they are “tracking an aircraft that poses a probable threat.” However, the all-clear was given after it was determined that the plane was part of a demonstration at nearby Nationals Park.

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The alert was sent to congressional staffers, according to The Associated Press.

Update 12:15 p.m. EDT April 21: The United States Capitol Police released a statement Thursday morning concerning its decision to evacuate the complex.

“The United States Capitol Police must make split-second decisions that could make the difference between life and death. The decision to evacuate the campus is not one we take lightly.

“The last time we had an evacuation due to a potential air threat was in June of 2014. Every week the USCP is made aware of hundreds of authorized flights in the restricted airspace. It is extremely unusual not to be made aware of a flight in advance.

“Last night around 6:30 pm, an unidentified plane was spotted within seconds of the U.S. Capitol. As soon as it was determined that we were not given advanced notice of an approved flight, our officers followed USCP policies and procedures and immediately led everyone safely out of the Congressional buildings. Seconds matter.

“The single engine airplane was later determined to be a military flight by the Golden Knights Parachute Team for Military Appreciation night at Nationals Park.”

Update 8:32 p.m. EDT April 20: In a statement, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticized the Federal Aviation Administration’s apparent failure to notify the Capitol Police about the demonstration at the stadium, calling it “outrageous and inexcusable.”

“The unnecessary panic caused by this apparent negligence was particularly harmful for members, staff and institutional workers still grappling with the trauma of the attack on their workplace on Jan. 6 (2021),” Pelosi said. “Congress looks forward to reviewing the results of a thorough after-action review that determines what precisely went wrong today and who at the Federal Aviation Administration will be held accountable for this outrageous and frightening mistake.”

Update 7:19 p.m. EDT April 20: The plane turned out to be a military aircraft with people parachuting out of it for a demonstration at Nationals Park before a major league baseball game, officials told The Associated Press.

The plane was carrying members of the U.S. Army’s Golden Knights, who then parachuted into the Washington Nationals’ baseball stadium for a pregame demonstration, the AP reported.

Nationals Park is about a mile from the Capitol.

The single-engine plane, was reported to be circling around Washington after taking off from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, two people familiar with the matter told the AP. The people said the aircraft did not report taking off and did not have appropriate clearance.

Original report: Capitol police tweeted that there was no threat at the Capitol, adding that more information would be released.

The Capitol was evacuated “out of an abundance of caution,” police tweeted.

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