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Law enforcement investigating the scene after a vehicle charged into a barricade at the United States Capitol in Washington, DC.
(Photo by Win McNamee / Getty Images)
A motorist rammed a vehicle into U.S. Capitol police officers on Friday, killing one and wounding another and forcing the Capitol and congressional office buildings to be on high alert, Capitol Police said.
The suspect collided with a vehicle against the officers, got out of the car and jumped at them, knife in hand, Yogananda Pittman, acting chief of the US Capitol Police, said at a news conference.
Police responded by shooting at the suspect, who died. Pittman said one of the officers was killed and the other was injured.
“It does not appear to be related to terrorism, but obviously we will continue to investigate,” said Robert Contee, acting chief of the Washington Metropolitan Police Department.
Dozens of police cars, marked and unmarked, raced toward the iconic domed white building, in an unwanted reminder of January 6, when thousands of supporters of then-President Donald Trump invaded the complex.
READ | US Capitol Complex Closing After Reports of Motorists Beating Officers
Police said they still did not know what had motivated the attacker and did not identify him.
“Clearly, this was someone who was actively trying to attack whoever or whatever, we just don’t know at this point, so we have a responsibility to investigate that to get to the bottom of this. If the attack was against law enforcement, or whoever, we have a responsibility to get to the bottom and we will, “Contee said.
All roads leading to the complex were blocked by police officers or police officers.
A helicopter was seen flying overhead and observers were ordered to leave the area. Videos of the scene showed what appeared to be two people on stretchers loaded into ambulances.
Reporters were told to stay away from the windows.
Dozens of National Guard troops, who have been stationed on Capitol Hill since the January attack, were quickly deployed after the incident. Wearing riot gear, they trotted in columns to deploy on the scene and around the compound.
Authorities have begun only in recent weeks to remove the outer ring of tall barbed-wire fences erected around the sprawling Capitol complex after the January 6 uproar.
That assault took place as the House of Representatives and the Senate, with the Senate chaired by then-Vice President Mike Pence, certified the November election victory of Democratic President Joe Biden over Republican Trump.
At the time, Trump supporters shouted slogans including “Stop the Steal” and “Hang Mike Pence” as they attacked the Capitol and said they hoped to stop voter certification.
Biden took office on January 20.
Members of Congress were not in Washington on Friday, with the Senate and House in recess for the Easter holidays.
Biden was also out of town. He arrived at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland on Friday afternoon.
