Capitol Police weapon left unattended in Capitol bathroom, again

A U.S. Capitol Police lieutenant left his service weapon in a bathroom Monday night and the unattended gun was discovered later by another Capitol Police officer.

After the House adjourned on Monday, Lt. Mike Byrd left his Glock 22 in a bathroom in the Capitol Visitor Center complex, according to sources familiar with the incident. Byrd is the commander of the House Chambers section of the Capitol Police and was on the job Tuesday and Wednesday.

Byrd addressed the incident at Tuesday morning’s officer roll call and, according to sources, told fellow officers that he “will be treated differently” because of his rank as a lieutenant. It was not clear what exactly the lieutenant meant by the comment.

This is not the first time that a case like this has come to light and under investigation in recent years. In 2015, there were a rash of Capitol Police service weapons left behind in inappropriate places.

A member of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s security detail left his Glock and magazine stuffed in the toilet seat cover holder of a Capitol Visitor Center bathroom stall in January 2015, where a CVC worker found the gun.
A member of Speaker John A. Boehner’s dignitary protection team left a loaded firearm in the bathroom of Ohio Republican’s office suite in March 2015, where a 7- or 8-year-old child visiting the Capitol with his parents found the weapon.
A third Glock was found in April 2015 by custodial staff cleaning the Capitol Police headquarters building on D Street Northeast.