Construction May Have Aided Entry by Intruder

Capitol police officers warned their superiors during the summer that the U.S. Capitol needed tighter security because of construction work, but a door was left unguarded last week, allowing the worst breach in eight years, officials said.

A drug-addled man easily drove a Chevrolet TrailBlazer through a partly blocked construction entrance to the Capitol grounds, according to officials and court testimony. He outran two dozen police officers into the building and went floor to floor until a civilian employee caught him. Police found a loaded pistol in the intruder’s waistband.