A Maryland man accused of running through the U.S. Capitol with a loaded handgun appeared in court Tuesday but will undergo days of psychiatric treatment before his arraignment.
Federal prosecutors said Carlos Greene, 20, should be considered a flight risk because he was on parole for assaulting a police officer and on probation in Maryland for what court records show was a disorderly conduct charge.
Magistrate Judge John M. Facciola ordered Greene held until a hearing Friday. He is not receiving psychological treatment to determine whether he is competent to stand trial, only to ensure his good health while he is in custody, officials said.
Greene, from Silver Spring, Md., spoke only briefly, thanking the judge on his way out of the courtroom.
Prosecutors said Greene led police on a car chase and nearly hit two pedestrians Monday before crashing on the Capitol grounds. After a foot chase through the Capitol, he tried to grab a shotgun from a police officer before being subdued, authorities said.
Police said he had a loaded handgun and crack cocaine when he was arrested.
It was the worst breach of Capitol security since a gunman killed two police officers in 1998.
Greene friends and family who came to court said the case was being overblown. They said he probably was intoxicated and didn’t know what he was doing.
Greene’s arrest record in Montgomery County, Md., includes charges of assault and destruction of property, according to court records. He was also cited numerous times for traffic violations.
In 2001, Greene was charged with assault, accused of slashing a man in the face with a knife, but the charges were dropped. The destruction of property case also was dropped. He pleaded guilty to a 2003 charge of disorderly conduct.
