Armed man looking for Wisconsin Governor Evers returns after arrest

An armed man who entered Wisconsin's state Capitol demanding to see the governor has been arrested after posting bail and coming back.

The shirtless man, who has not yet been identified, was taken into custody on Wednesday afternoon for illegally carrying a firearm in the building.

But he posted bail and returned that evening with an assault-style rifle.

It comes amid a pattern of violent threats faced by public and elected officials across the US.

Governor Tony Evers, a Democrat, was not in his first floor office in the state's capitol at the time, according to Tatyana Warrick, a Department of Administration spokeswoman.

The man, who was carrying a holstered handgun, approached the office around 15:00 EST (19:00 GMT) on Wednesday and demanded to see Mr Evers.

Weapons can be brought into the building if they are concealed and the carrier holds a valid permit, but the man did not have one and he was arrested by a state capitol police officer.

But after being booked into the local Dane County Jail, he posted bail and returned again to the capitol grounds just before 22:00 EST carrying an automatic rifle. The building closes at 19:00 EST.

Ms Warrick told the BBC the would-be assailant had been taken into custody a second time on Wednesday night for a psychiatric evaluation, but she could not confirm if he remained in custody.

Police for the city of Madison said in a police report: "The subject was taken into protective custody and conveyed to a local hospital."

The governor's office could not immediately be reached for comment.