Rep. Jamaal Bowman charged with falsely pulling fire alarm in Capitol Hill office building

Washington — Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman has been charged with falsely pulling a fire alarm in a Capitol Hill office building before a last-minute vote to fund the government in September. 

Bowman has been ordered to appear in D.C. Superior Court on Thursday morning for his arraignment on the single misdemeanor charge. 

U.S. Capitol Police said Wednesday that it has completed its investigation into the incident and referred the matter to prosecutors.

“Our agents gathered all the evidence, packaged it up, and sent the entire case with charges to prosecutors for their consideration,” the agency said in a statement. 

Bowman has admitted to activating the fire alarm that led to the office building’s evacuation. He said he was “rushing to make” the vote and “came to a door that is usually open for votes but today would not open.”

U.S. Capitol Police said earlier this month that security video showed the New York congressman trying to leave the building before he pulled the fire alarm. Capitol Police said signs “with clear language” explained that those doors were “secured and marked as an emergency exit only.” 

Republicans had accused Bowman of triggering the alarm in an effort to delay the House vote on a short-term spending bill, an allegation Bowman denied.

“I want to be very clear, this was not me, in any way, trying to delay any vote,” Bowman said. “It was the exact opposite — I was trying urgently to get to a vote, which I ultimately did and joined my colleagues in a bipartisan effort to keep our government open.”