Police officer killed in car assault on US Capitol

Legislation enforcement examine the scene after a car charged a barricade on the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC.

A motorist rammed a car into US Capitol Cops on Friday, killing one and injuring one other and forcing the Capitol and congressional workplace buildings onto excessive alert, Capitol Police mentioned.

The suspect drove a car into the officers, received out of the automobile and lunged at them, with a knife in his hand, Yogananda Pittman, appearing chief of the USA Capitol Police, advised a information convention.

Police responded by firing on the suspect, who died. Pittman mentioned one of many officers was killed and the opposite was injured.

“It doesn’t seem like terrorism-related however clearly we’ll proceed to research,” mentioned Robert Contee, appearing chief of the Metropolitan Police Division of Washington.

Dozens of police automobiles, marked and unmarked, raced towards the long-lasting domed white constructing, in an unwelcome reminder of Jan. 6, when hundreds of supporters of then-President Donald Trump overran the complicated.

READ | US Capitol complicated on lockdown after experiences motorist rams officers

Police mentioned they didn’t but know what had motivated the attacker, and they didn’t establish him.

“Clearly this was somebody who was actively making an attempt to only get at whoever or no matter – we simply do not know proper now, so we now have a duty to research that to resolve this. Whether or not the assault was at regulation enforcement, or whoever, we now have a duty to resolve it and we’ll try this,” Contee mentioned.

All roads resulting in the complicated have been blocked by police or law enforcement officials.

A helicopter was seen hovering overhead and observers have been ordered to depart the realm. Movies from the scene confirmed what gave the impression to be two individuals on stretchers being loaded into ambulances.

Journalists have been advised to avoid home windows.

Dozens of Nationwide Guard troops, who’ve been stationed on the Capitol because the January assault, rapidly deployed after the incident. In riot gear, they jogged in columns to deploy on the scene and across the complicated.

Authorities have begun solely prior to now couple of weeks to take away the outer ring of excessive, razor-wire-topped fencing erected across the sprawling Capitol complicated after the January 6 rampage.

That assault came about whereas the Home of Representatives and Senate, with the Senate presided over by then-Vice President Mike Pence, was certifying Democratic President Joe Biden’s November election victory over the Republican Trump.

On the time Trump’s supporters shouted slogans together with “Cease the Steal” and “Dangle Mike Pence” as they attacked the Capitol and mentioned they hoped to cease the election certification.

Biden took workplace on January 20.

Members of Congress weren’t in Washington on Friday, with each the Senate and Home of Representatives in recess for the Easter vacation.

Biden additionally was out of town. He arrived on the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland early on Friday afternoon.