Getty Photos from the scene of the possible Capitol car and knife attack.
Photos emerged from the scene of the U.S. Capitol attack, where the Capitol police chief says a suspect tried to ram a barricade and then aggressively ran toward officers with a knife, killing a Capitol police officer.
The suspect is Noah Green, 25, of Indiana, who identified as a Nation of Islam follower, according to MSNBC.
The news that one officer is dead came from the chief in a news conference on April 21, 2021. The suspect was shot by police and is also dead. A second officer was injured, but that officer’s condition is not clear.
Capitol police chief Yogananda Pittman said, “The suspect rammed his car into two of our officers and then hit the north barricade barrier… the suspect exited the vehicle with a knife in hand. Our officers then engaged that suspect. He did not respond to verbal commands. The suspect did start lunging toward U.S. capitol police officers at which time U.S Capitol police officers fired upon the suspect. The suspect has been pronounced deceased.”
The news of a car attack and shooting sent the Capitol into lockdown.
Journalist Jonathan Dienst wrote on Twitter that, according to a senior law enforcement source, preliminary information is that the “suspect jumped out of vehicle with a knife. The suspect was then shot by police.” NBC’s Pete Williams said that the vehicle struck a barricade, the driver exited with a knife and might have slashed a police officer before being shot.
Security now spread out near Capitol after suspect rammed into barrier and hit 2 Capitol Police officers.
@wusa9 reporting the suspect was fatally shot
CNN reported that Capitol police shot the suspect after he brandished a knife. Williams reported that the suspect is dead. The officers’ condition is not clear.
GettyPolice and members of the National Guard block a street near the US Capitol on April 2, 2021.
There were also reports that someone was shot at the scene on April 2, 2021. The Capitol police described it as an “external security threat.”
They said a suspect was in custody, but, at this point, the suspect’s name and motive are not known. The condition of the two hospitalized police officers is not clear.
Here’s what you need to know:
Photos Showed the Car at the Barricade
Image from the US Capitol show a vehicle that crashed into a barricade.
Photos quickly circulated showing the car at the U.S. Capitol barricade.
The Capitol Police wrote on Twitter: “CRITICAL INCIDENT: USCP is responding to the North Barricade vehicle access point along Independence Avenue for reports someone rammed a vehicle into two USCP officers. A suspect is in custody. Both officers are injured. All three have been transported to the hospital.”
GettyPolice and first responders are seen near the US Capitol
Capitol police then wrote, “Correction: Constitution Avenue.” They added, “Due to the external security threat at the North Barricade of the U.S. Capitol, the following road closures are in effect: Constitution Avenue between Second Street NE and First Street NW. First Street between Constitution Avenue NE and Independence Avenue SE.”
EMS Confirmed There Was Also a Shooting
🚨🚨A helicopter just landed on the east front of the Capitol. I’ve never seen anything like this before. ever.
NBC also reported: “A spokesperson for the Washington D.C. Fire and EMS Department says at least one person has been shot near the U.S. Capitol.”
Who was shot is not clear, including whether it was the suspect.
The news is preliminary as the possibly attack occurred on the afternoon of April 2, 2021.
Rep. Ro Khanna wrote on Twitter, “I’m safe and locked down here at the Capitol. Thankful today & every day for the US Capitol Police.”
Journalist Steve Herman provided updates on Twitter. “There are reports of gunfire near the US Capitol, @KellyO tells @PressSec during the ongoing briefing,” he wrote on Twitter. KellyO is the Twitter page for NBC correspondent Kelly O’Donnell.
“Sirens blaring at US Capitol, which is now on lockdown, due an apparent ‘external threat,'” he wrote.
O’Donnell wrote on Twitter, “The president is now at Camp David and @presssec says as always he has a national security team with him that can provide information about events like the security situation unfolding at the US Capitol.”
You can see a roundup of videos from the scene here.
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