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Less than three months after the United States Capitol was violently stormed by an enraged mob, an attacker killed one police officer and seriously wounded another in front of the heavily guarded Parliament building. The man collided with the two police officers on a driveway to Congress headquarters in the capital, Washington, and then collided with a barrier. The attacker immediately attacked other officers with a knife and ignored the warnings, which is why the security forces detained him with gunfire, as police said on Friday (local time). Shortly after, the author was pronounced dead.
The chief of police in the US capital, Washington, Robert Contee, said that based on initial findings, the act did not appear to have had a terrorist background. There is no evidence that a new threat to Congress or residents can be posed. The Capitol, the seat of both houses of the United States Congress, was temporarily cordoned off due to the incident. However, the congress did not have a day of sessions, so there are hardly any senators or parliamentarians in the complex.
Flags at half mast
The flags of the United States were flown at half mast until Tuesday by order of President Joe Biden as a show of respect for the efforts and victims of the Capitol Police. Biden spoke of a heartbreaking incident and said he would be kept informed of the status of the investigation. He expressed his condolences to the victim’s family. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Democrat Nancy Pelosi, called the murdered official a “martyr for our democracy.”
The policeman, William Evans, died of his injuries shortly after the attack. He had been in the service of the Capitol Police for 18 years, as explained by his managing director.
According to police, the crime scene at the site’s so-called northern barrier will remain closed for the time being due to ongoing investigations. The images showed a blue, middle-class car that had collided head-on with a metal barrier anchored in the ground with the words “STOP” on it.
Strong guard on the Capitol
Due to the attack by angry supporters of former President-elect Donald Trump on January 6, the entire compound at the seat of the United States Parliament is still heavily guarded. Last week, however, security measures were lowered a bit. An exterior fence protecting the area around the conference center was dismantled. Streets that were within this circle and that were cordoned off were reopened.
However, National Guard soldiers continue to support the security forces. Capitol Police emphasized last week that they are ready at any time to restart security measures immediately if necessary.
“It is very sad because I believed that once the barriers were removed, we would return to a certain normality. But that just shows how high the risk is, “Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna told CNN news channel. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said:” Events like this remind us of the courage and competence of security professionals and our shared commitment to defend this great country and its institutions. “
Criticism after storming the Capitol
After the violent assault on Congress in January, the Capitol Police came under fire because parliamentary security forces were unable to repel the attack. The chief of police resigned. At least five people were killed in the riots, including a Capitol police officer. The FBI classifies the assault on the building as domestic terrorism.
On the day of the attack, Congress was supposed to ratify US President Biden’s electoral victory. The then current ruler Trump, who did not want to admit defeat, had encouraged his supporters with a combative speech in front of the White House immediately before the assault on the Capitol. The Democrats blamed him for the events and successfully initiated an impeachment process in the House of Representatives, which, however, failed in the Senate due to the necessary two-thirds majority.
