MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The State Patrol is searching for a daredevil climber who scaled the Minnesota State Capitol late at night.
Security cameras caught a Spider-Man-like climber scaling the historic dome with Capitol police in hot pursuit. Capitol Security spotted the unusual intruder late one night last October, when the unidentified intruder scaled the 223-foot marble dome to the very top.
The intruder then led security officers on a daring– and dangerous — chase, 20 stories above the ground.
“It’s incredibly dangerous,” said State Patrol spokesperson Eric Roeske.
The white male wearing a gray hoodie likely climbed the construction scaffolding set up around the building for restoration work, Roeske said.
Then set out to prove he could do it.
“[This is] likely some sort of thrill seeker, but obviously a very dangerous situation that he put himself in, and our security officers,” Roeske said.
The Capitol climber eluded capture by hiding behind massive carved marble eagles high above the ground.
He peek-a-booed security officers, then tip toed across narrow ledges with only inches to spare. He escaped pursuit by clambering down an unguarded scaffold.
“One misstep and he would have fallen a great distance, likely to his death,” Roeske said.
Capitol security officers and the State Patrol, who are responsible for guarding the Capitol building, are worried that copy-cat climbers may try to recreate the Spider-Man act. That’s why they’ve tightened security around the Capitol renovation project, which is expected to continue for at least three years.
Authorities say there is an aggressive investigation into who the climber is.
Note: Although the climber scaled the Capitol back in October, the video only came to light recently.
