UPDATED BELOW:
A Georgia woman is in police custody after allegedly pointing a handgun at Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) while he sat in his car in a Spartanburg, S.C. parking lot in his home district.
The Spartanburg Public Safety Department reports that Gloria Yvonne Brackett of Atlanta, Ga. was detained Sunday night, a short time after Gowdy departed the scene of the incident and reported it to authorities.
Gowdy told police that he had been waiting for his daughter while parked outside the First Baptist Church Spartanburg when he was approached by Brackett sometime after 8 p.m. Politico runs down the police report, which states that Brackett had confronted Gowdy, demanding that he “stop following her.” Gowdy replied that he was there only to pick up his daughter, but sometime after, Brackett returned with a pistol, which she pointed in the congressman's direction. When Gowdy put his car in reverse to leave, Brackett reportedly ran after the vehicle on foot. Gowdy then drove to the police department to report the incident, and later traveled back to the church parking lot with a police escort to pick up his daughter.
Brackett has reportedly been charged with unlawful carrying of a pistol and pointing, as well as presenting a firearm, and is being held at the Spartanburg County Detention Center.
A news conference on the matter is scheduled for Monday morning.
UPDATE -- 11:50 a.m.:
At the news conference on Monday, a spokesman for the Spartanburg Public Safety Department said they had found nothing in Brackett's profile to suggest she was aware that Gowdy was a congressman, or that she was involved in any sort of political extremist group.
Gowdy's office released the following statement ahead of the conference:
"Mr. Gowdy is grateful to the Spartanburg Public Safety Department for their help last night and especially for helping make sure his daughter was safe. Given the fact that this is an ongoing investigation with a subsequent prosecution, Mr. Gowdy will not be making any additional comments."
Capitol Police are now reportedly involved in the investigation as well.
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