Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) faces a misdemeanor charge after he pulled a fire alarm in a House building last month.
Bowman will be arraigned Thursday after he was charged Wednesday with one count of falsely pulling a fire alarm, NBC News reported.
“I am responsible for activating a fire alarm, I will be paying the fine issued, and look forward to these charges being ultimately dropped,” Bowman said in a statement Wednesday.
The charge concludes a three-week investigation by U.S. Capitol Police of the Sept. 30 incident, when Bowman was seen on camera pulling the fire alarm in the Cannon House Office Building, leading to an evacuation.
Republicans were quick to accuse Bowman of attempting to stall proceedings for a GOP proposal to keep the government open. In a statement hours after setting off the alarm, Bowman said he was “rushing to make a vote” when he pulled the alarm, thinking it would unlock a door he wanted to pass through.
“I am embarrassed to admit that I activated the fire alarm, mistakenly thinking it would open the door,” the statement said. “I regret this and sincerely apologize for any confusion this caused.”
A charging document obtained by Politico said there was “probable cause to believe that the defendant willfully or knowingly gave a false fire alarm within the District of Columbia.”
The charge carries a maximum fine of $1,000 or a sentence of up to six months in jail.
