A Christian pastor from the US has been arrested after a shooting at Capitol Hill, the equivalent to the Houses of Parliament, in America.

Larry Dawson, a pastor from Tennessee, was shot inside the Visitor Center after pulling a gun out on Monday.

It has been reported that this is not the first time he has been in trouble at the democratic building - he was arrested last October for disrupting House of Representatives proceedings and yelling he was a "Prophet of God".

Larry Russell Dawson of Antioch, Tennessee and the pastor of St Luke's church outside Nashville, has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon and assault on a police officer while armed.

The 66-year-old was shot by a US Capitol Police officer and remains in hospital in stable but critical condition, according to police.

US Capitol Police Chief Matthew Verderosa said that at approximately 2:40pm Mr Dawson "drew what appeared to be a weapon and pointed it at officers" during a routine screening at the Visitor Center.

"We do believe this is an act of a single person who has frequented the Capitol grounds before and there is no reason to believe that this is anything more than a criminal act," he said.

On St Luke's website Larry Dawson has stated that his mission is: "To get the US Congress to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 TO $15.00."

Larry Dawson visited Capitol Hill on Monday after spending Easter Sunday in church in Nashville, according to his now deleted Facebook.