U.S. Army parachute demonstration at Nationals game causes evacuation of Capitol building

A United States Army demonstration of the Golden Knights parachute team at Nationals stadium in Washington, DC caused alarm and confusion on Wednesday evening that resulted in the evacuation of the US Capitol building.

The demonstration, which took place around 6:30PM on Wednesday night, included a twin-engine aircraft which repeatedly circled low above the stadium, which is a little over a mile from Capitol Hill.

Reportedly, the military, FAA and Capitol Police had failed to communicate regarding the event, and the miscommunication resulted in the speedy evacuation of lawmakers and staffers on Capitol Hill after Capitol Police issued a safety alert about the aircraft.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi blamed the FAA for the incident, saying its “apparent failure to notify Capitol Police of the pre-planned flyover Nationals Stadium is outrageous and inexcusable.”

Lawmakers and staff have been on edge at the Capitol since the January 6, 2021 insurrection during which Trump supporters broke windows and doors and ransacked the Capitol building in an attempt to interrupt the certification of Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election.

The FAA responded to the incident in a statement, saying, “The FAA takes its role in protecting the national airspace seriously and will conduct a thorough and expeditious review of the events this evening and share updates. We know our actions affect others, especially in our nation’s capital region, and we must communicate early and often with our law enforcement partners.”

According to NBC News, Capitol Police were not given advance notice of the parachute demonstration by the US Army or the FAA.

“We are reviewing all aspects of the event to ensure all procedures were followed appropriately to coordinate both the flight and the parachute demonstration,” said U.S. Army Recruiting Command spokeswoman Kelly LeGaspi.