JUST IN: Woman arrested after police say she nearly struck officers near Capitol;relatives say it was Taleah Everett t.co/wKdJHlLvR4
Taleah Everett was named as the woman accused of nearly running over Capitol police officers, provoking Capitol Hill offices to be locked down.
News of the incident broke on the morning of March 29, with reports on Twitter that shots were fired.
#USCapitol suspect #Taleah Everett due in court today t.co/a7uQeao7zr @NewsChannel8
The incident was contained quickly, however, with Everett, 20, taken into custody. Tensions were heightened, especially as the incident occurred just days after a man ran over several people with a car and stabbed a police officer to death outside U.K. Parliament. That incident was terrorism related; however, the motive in the Capitol Hill incident does not have a nexus to terrorism, CNN reported.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Everett’s Relatives Identified Her & Claimed She Has Mental Health Issues
Capitol Hill Shooting: Live updates t.co/Gzue4X1C9i
Everett’s aunt identified her to the news media before authorities released the name and said she has mental health issues and did not mean to cause harm.
Though no ID yet from police, an aunt told local media the driver is Taleah Everett. Says she is bipolar, does not believe she meant harm t.co/nPNK1xvQZY
An NBC 4 reporter tweeted, “Aunt tells me the family tried getting help through the courts for her mental issues but says a judge denied them.”
A chase ensued after the suspect allegedly almost struck a police car. According to CNN, a police spokeswoman says police officers noticed an “erratic driver,” and “when they attempted to stop her, she made a U-turn in an attempt to flee the scene.”
According to The Washington Post, the incident was reported at 9:30 a.m. “when calls came in for shots fired outside the Rayburn building.” It was over 15 minutes later with the suspect in custody, The Post reported.
2. Reports Said Shots Were Fired & a Neighbor Says Everett Needs Help
#BREAKING @Fox5dc: Independence Ave now reopened. Suspect car taken from #US #CapitolHill shooting this a.m. Female suspect in custody.
According to ABC News, Capitol police fired the shots but the suspect was not injured. No injuries were reported from the incident.
The shots were fired during the attempt to arrest the woman, reported The Washington Post, but authorities have not spelled out the exact details of how the gunfire unfolded.
There was a short pursuit before the shots were fired, CBS News reported.
A neighbor told ABC7 that she hopes and prays Everett gets help.
3. Authorities Say They Don’t Suspect Terrorism & Everett Now Faces Multiple Charges
The U.S. Capitol. (Getty)
Although the initial news broke as a possible car ramming incident – striking fears of terrorism – authorities quickly dismissed that as a motive.
Police said the incident “appeared to be criminal in nature with no terrorism connection,” Roll Call reported.
According to Fox 5 DC, Everett “has been charged with seven counts of assault on a police officer; two counts of destruction of property, fleeing, leaving after colliding and no valid permit.”
She was “due in court Wednesday morning in a domestic-violence case at roughly the same time as the incident at the Capitol. She was the subject of a no-contact order,” reported Fox 5 DC.
According to CBS News, Everett’s name does not appear in any government terrorism databases.
4. The Suspect Is Accused of Trying to Run Over Police Officers
Roll Call reported that Everett is a resident of Washington D.C.
“Officers observed an erratic and aggressive driver,” Roll Call quoted police as saying, adding: “while attempting to stop the vehicle on Independence Avenue, the driver made a U-turn and fled the scene nearly striking officers and struck at least one other vehicle. The vehicle was stopped at Washington and Independence Avenue Southwest.”
5. There Have Been a Series of Security Concerns in Washington, D.C.
‘Driver attempts to ram police cruiser on Capitol Hill grounds, officials say; shots fired’ t.co/KG8VG1ndEA
The incident occurred after a series of security concerns in Washington D.C., especially around the White House, where several people have tried or succeeded in jumping over the White House fence.
Cars have been used as a modus operandi for attacks in England, France, and Germany, raising concerns about terrorism. But, as noted, Capitol Hill police say the March 29 incident was not related to that.