Jacob Chestnut

Who was Jacob Chestnut?

Jacob Joseph Chestnut, one of the two United States Capitol Police officers killed in the line of duty on July 24, 1998, was the first African American to lie in honor in the United States Capitol. Chestnut is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. His funeral included a speech by President Bill Clinton and a fly-over by military jets in a missing man formation.

Officer Jacob Chestnut was on guard at the Document Door entrance to the U.S. Capitol when gunman Russell Eugene Weston Jr. entered. Chestnut, manning a metal detector, was caught unaware by Weston, who shot Chestnut through the back of the head at point-blank range, killing him instantly.

Officer Chestnut and fellow police officer Detective John Gibson were the only two people killed in the attack. A female tourist suffered minor injuries after bullets grazed her shoulder and face.

In 1998, the House of Representatives passed a motion to designate a post office at 11550 Livingston Road in Fort Washington, Maryland as the "Jacob Joseph Chestnut Post Office Building".