Cynthia McKinney–Capitol Hill police incident

On March 29, 2006, Representative Cynthia McKinney of Georgia had a dispute with Capitol Police. McKinney entered the Longworth House Office Building's southeast entrance after walking around the metal detector at the security checkpoint. She proceeded westward down the ground floor hallway and about halfway down the hallway was grabbed by United States Capitol Police officer Paul McKenna who stated that he had been calling after her "Ma'am, Ma'am!" Two days later Officer McKenna filed a police report claiming that McKinney had "struck his chest with a closed fist." Members of Congress are not required to pass through metal detectors but they are asked to wear identifying lapel pins.

The incident made national headlines and sparked controversies over whether the officers present failed to recognize her as a Member of Congress because she was not wearing the appropriate lapel pin, whether McKinney had just cause to assert that racial profiling played a role in the incident, whether Members of Congress should be required to pass through metal detectors, and even whether McKinney's recent change of hair-style contributed to the incident.