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The seat of the United States Congress was armored this Friday and is under high alert after a vehicle rammed two police officers near there, three months after the violent seizure of the Capitol by followers of former President Donald Trump.
(Read here: Two cops sue Trump for assault on the Capitol in January)
One of the agents and the driver of the vehicle died, according to US media. For now, the police rule out that it was a terrorist act.
The attacker, of whom no details have been given, was shot several times by the agents after wielding a knife and died shortly after in a Washington hospital, according to these preliminary information.
The television images showed a blue car that had crashed into the security barrier of one of the streets leading to the United States Congress. They also showed two people on stretchers, who appeared to be the wounded officers.
The authorities have not yet released any information on the identity of the driver of the vehicle and, according to the US media, shots were heard at the time of the suspect’s arrest. NBC reported that the individual exited the vehicle with a knife.
Following the incident on Friday, the Capitol and adjacent buildings were closed. In any case, Congress was in recess for Easter, so there were fewer personnel in the place.
Police block a street near the US Capitol on April 2, 2021, after a vehicle collided with US Capitol police officers.
The United States National Guard is present in the vicinity of the Capitol.
The National Guard
This incident follows the violent assault on the Capitol building on January 6 by Trump supporters who wanted to disrupt the election certification.
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The group sought to prevent the officialization of the results of the November elections in which Joe Biden prevailed over Trump, after the former Republican president claimed without providing evidence that there was fraud in the elections.
Five people were killed in the January incidents, including a Capitol police officer. Since then, senior security officials have warned that there is a threat from far-right groups and supporters of former President Trump.
After the assault on Congress, authorities erected a barrier and closed a wide perimeter around the Capitol, but in recent days they began to reduce the fenced area and open traffic.
Congressman Peter Meijer called on Twitter to “pray” for the police officers of the
Capitol and by emergency personnel on site. “We are trying to understand the situation that is developing in the Capitol right now“, said the congressman. After the incident, a large contingent of national guard agents and vehicles were mobilized to the scene and a helicopter flies over the area.
AFP and EFE
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