Guillotine Found in Pickup Near U.S. Capitol Leads to Arrest

On Tuesday, August 25, United States Capitol Police observed a black pickup truck illegally parked on the 100 block of East Capitol Street, a street that runs alongside the Supreme Court building and leads to the Capitol grounds. Officers discovered a 10-foot wooden guillotine in the truck’s bed and seized the device. The driver, 35-year-old Philan-Tam-Duy Le of Julian, California, was taken into custody on a charge of carrying a dangerous weapon. Police noted that Le had driven from California to Washington, D.C., a cross-country trip of roughly 2,500 miles.

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The guillotine is an execution device invented in France in 1792 and famously used during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror, when an estimated 17,000 people were beheaded. The last judicial use of a guillotine occurred in Marseille, France, in 1977. Recent years have seen guillotine imagery appear in American political protests, but owning the apparatus is not itself illegal; however, bringing a weapon-classified object onto federally protected grounds is prohibited.

New York Times

Le was charged with “carrying a dangerous weapon” and “possession of a prohibited weapon.” At his first court appearance, Judge Robert Hildum of the District of Columbia Superior Court denied prosecutors’ request to keep Le detained, noting that the presence of the guillotine was “a very, very serious thing” but that Le had not threatened anyone, fled, or taken any other hostile action. The judge’s remarks contrasted with prosecutors’ allegation that Le intended to use the guillotine “unlawfully against another.” Le’s attorney, Anthony Smith, was not immediately reachable for comment.

The Guardian

• Judge Robert Hildum remarked that Le “didn’t even threaten anyone” and “didn’t flee,” emphasizing the lack of overt danger beyond the device itself.

The Guardian

• Capitol Police press release (January) reported that in 2025 the department responded to nearly 15,000 “concerning statements, behaviors, and communications” directed at members of Congress, a 57 % increase over 2024.

CNN

• The guillotine measured approximately 10 feet in height and was described as a “real blade” by Capitol Police officials.

New York Times

• Capitol Police recorded a 57 % rise in threat-related incidents in 2025 compared with the prior year, totaling about 15,000 reports.

CNN

• “He built a lot of things with his hands,” — Kelvin Le, lawyer

Calif. Man Arrested Near U.S. Supreme Court with Guillotine in Pickup Truck

Sources differ on Le’s intended purpose for the guillotine. Prosecutors, as reflected in court documents, assert that Le intended unlawful use of the device against another person. In contrast, Judge Hildum’s courtroom comments and Le’s own statements to police indicate no intent to threaten or harm anyone. Additionally, while Le’s brother Kelvin Le described the guillotine as a “symbol of disapproval” of the political climate, investigators have not disclosed any concrete motive, leaving the reason for the cross-country trip unresolved.

The Guardian

Le remains in custody pending further court proceedings. A subsequent hearing is scheduled, though no specific date has been disclosed in the available reports. Investigators continue to review his background and social-media activity to determine the motivation behind transporting the guillotine to the nation’s capital.

New York Times