Florida Man Lands Gyrocopter On Capitol Grounds

Florida resident Doug Hughes flew his gyrocopter from Wauchula, Florida to Washington, D.C. and landed it on the west front lawn of the Capitol building on Wednesday.

He reportedly flew the contraption to Washington to compel lawmakers to pay attention to the issue of campaign finance reform. So far, his stunt has drawn the attention of Capitol Police, who responded to the scene and apprehended Hughes.

"The U.S. Capitol Police continues to investigate with one person detained and temporary street closures in the immediate area," the Capitol Police said in a statement.

Hughes, who works as a mailman, flew to Washington with 535 two-page letters for each member of Congress, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

"I'm demanding reform and declaring a voter's rebellion in a manner consistent with Jefferson's description of rights in the Declaration of Independence," Hughes wrote. "As a member of Congress, you have three options. 1. You may pretend corruption does not exist. 2. You may pretend to oppose corruption while you sabotage reform. 3. You may actively participate in real reform."

Hughes told the Times that the U.S. Secret Service questioned him last year about his plans. Even so, he was willing to violate the law and fly his vehicle to the Capitol for his cause.

"I don't believe that the authorities are going to shoot down a 61-year-old mailman in a flying bicycle," he said. "I don't have any defense, okay, but I don't believe that anybody wants to personally take responsibility for the fallout."

© 2015 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.