Jamaal Bowman criminally charged in Capitol Hill fire alarm incident

Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., has been charged after he pulled a fire alarm in a House of Representatives building amid a government shutdown threat on Sept. 30.

Bowman was charged with false fire alarm on Wednesday afternoon. His arraignment is scheduled for Thursday morning.

An arrest warrant filed by U.S. Capitol Police Supervisory Special Agent Joseph McAtee states that they were notified at 12:05 p.m. that a fire alarm had been pulled inside the Cannon House Office Building on the second floor.

When Bowman was interviewed by Capitol Police agents, he told them that he responded “yes” when asked if he knew anything about the fire alarm. The Democratic representative said he was in a rush because votes were being called, adding that the door is usually open.

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Bowman, according to the arrest warrant, the agents that he saw the nearby doors with a sign reading “emergency exit only push to open,” so he pushed on the door and pulled the lever next to it, which must have been the alarm.”

“[Bowman] advised that usually when votes are called, all doors are open, and that door is usually open (the second floor door leading to Independence Ave). The defendant further stated that this door was a usual door he uses. The defendant advised that he then went to a Dem (Democratic) meeting and a vote at the Capitol, then the House Sergeant at Arms contacted him,” the warrant states.

Bowman told the agent that he didn’t intend to cause a fire alarm and didn’t intend to disrupt or obstruct a Congressional proceeding, then stating that he needed to get a lawyer and wouldn’t make any further statements.

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The agent wrote in the arrest warrant that there’s a sign next to the door reading “Emergency Exit Only,” adding that the fire alarm had lettering which read, “FIRE. Push in Pull Down.” Security camera footage reviewed by Capitol Police allegedly revealed that Bowman attempted to open both door’s before pulling the fire alarm, then walked away.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Bowman’s congressional office. At the time of the incident, Bowman’s chief of staff wrote on X that “Congressman Bowman did not realize he would trigger a building alarm as he was rushing to make an urgent vote. The Congressman regrets any confusion.”

This is a developing story.

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