Rep. Jamaal Bowman Pleads Guilty To Misdemeanor For Pulling Fire Alarm During Key Vote

On Thursday morning, Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-New York) appeared at the D.C. Superior Court and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for pulling a fire alarm when there was no emergency. 

The misdemeanor will be dropped if the representative follows the conditions of a deal, which includes three months of probation, a formal apology to the officers of the U.S. Capitol and a $1,000 fine. 

On Wednesday, Bowman said in a statement, “I’m thankful for the quick resolution from the District of Columbia Attorney General’s office on this issue and grateful that the United States Capitol Police General Counsel’s office agreed I did not obstruct nor intend to obstruct any House vote or proceedings.”

“I am responsible for activating a fire alarm, I will be paying the fine issued, and look forward to these charges being ultimately dropped,” he added.

Bowman was caught on video where he can be seen pulling a fire alarm while in the Cannon House Office Building. This occurred before the House was to vote on a bill about government funding and while Congress was attempting to avoid a government shutdown. 

At the time, Bowman asserted that he had not done this intentionally and that it was an accident.

“I was trying to get to a door. I thought the alarm would open the door, and I pulled the fire alarm to open the door by accident,” he stated. “I was just trying to get to my vote and the door that’s usually open wasn’t open, it was closed.”

The congressman said he was “attempting to exit the building” and he “pushed on a door and pulled the lever next to it, which must have been the alarm.” He claims that he was not attempting to disrupt the ongoing congressional proceeding or cause any security concerns. 

Bowman heard the alarms but continued on to the voting and did not alert anyone to what had happened despite the fact that he walked by several officers directly after setting off the alarm.