Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Reported by Don Porter for NBC News, December 8, 1982.
NBC News report from December 8, 1982, covering the dramatic 10-hour standoff at the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C.
Anti-nuclear weapons protester Norman Mayer, 66, threatened to destroy the Washington Monument with explosives he claimed were inside his truck. Dressed in a blue snowsuit and motorcycle helmet and carrying a remote-control device, Mayer demanded a national discussion about nuclear weapons.
The standoff forced the evacuation of nearby offices and museums, while tourists inside the monument were temporarily trapped. After approximately ten hours, Mayer attempted to drive his truck away. Police opened fire, the truck overturned, and Mayer was fatally shot.
A subsequent search of the vehicle found no explosives, revealing that Mayer's claim of having a truckload of dynamite had been a bluff.
Reporter: Don Porter
Network: NBC News
Location: Washington, D.C.
Date: December 8, 1982
Reported by Don Porter for NBC News, December 8, 1982.
NBC News report from December 8, 1982, covering the dramatic 10-hour standoff at the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C.
Anti-nuclear weapons protester Norman Mayer, 66, threatened to destroy the Washington Monument with explosives he claimed were inside his truck. Dressed in a blue snowsuit and motorcycle helmet and carrying a remote-control device, Mayer demanded a national discussion about nuclear weapons.
The standoff forced the evacuation of nearby offices and museums, while tourists inside the monument were temporarily trapped. After approximately ten hours, Mayer attempted to drive his truck away. Police opened fire, the truck overturned, and Mayer was fatally shot.
A subsequent search of the vehicle found no explosives, revealing that Mayer's claim of having a truckload of dynamite had been a bluff.
Reporter: Don Porter
Network: NBC News
Location: Washington, D.C.
Date: December 8, 1982
