Getty Police and members of the National Guard block a street near the US Capitol on April 2, 2021, after a vehicle drove into US Capitol police officers in Washington, DC. Two police officers were injured near the US Capitol on Friday after being rammed by a vehicle whose driver was subsequently arrested, police said.
A vehicle crashed through the barrier at the U.S. Capitol, injuring two police officers and killing one of them, according to U.S. Capitol Police. A suspect was taken into custody, and both officers were taken to the hospital, in addition to the suspect. Video showed the chaos on the scene in its immediate aftermath as the area was placed on lockdown and a shooting was reported.
The suspect was later pronounced dead, according to WUSA9. A spokesperson for the Washington D.C. Fire and EMS Department told NBC News one person was shot, but did not specify at the time whether that person was the suspect. NBC’s Tom Winter reported the suspect tried to ram through the barrier, then exited his car with a knife. Winter reported the suspect was shot by police. The news outlet reported Congress is in spring recess for the week, so lawmakers were not working in the building. Reporters on the scene described a heavy law-enforcement presence that quickly descended on the complex. They reported two stretchers were being taken out of an ambulance.
“We’ve been attacked,” one US Capitol Police officer told MSNBC’s Jon Allen.
Here’s what you need to know:
Reporters on the Scene Shared Video of First Responders Tending to the Wounded U.S. Capitol Police Officers
The suspect who rammed into two US Capitol Police Officers exited his vehicle brandishing a knife and was shot. The suspect and two officers were transported to the hospital. Footage via Fox News:
Videos filmed in the immediate aftermath of the shooting show officers being treated and a heavy police presence descending on the U.S. Capitol. Another video showed a helicopter landing near the U.S. Capitol.
🚨🚨A helicopter just landed on the east front of the Capitol. I’ve never seen anything like this before. ever.
“A helicopter just landed on the east front of the Capitol. I’ve never seen anything like this before. ever,” wrote Jake Sherman of NBC and MSNBC on Twitter.
Another video showed a flurry of police activity as officers responded to the scene and first responders tended to the injured officers.
“Horrific scenes at the Capitol,” a Twitter user wrote. “Apparently two officers injured after a car drives straight into them.”
Another video showed a row of National Guard members responding to the Capitol, carrying riot shields.
National Guard hustling to Capitol right now
“National Guard hustling to Capitol right now,” Zach Merchant of WUSA9 wrote on Twitter.
NBC reported that a message was sent to congressional offices. It said that “Due to an external security threat,” there was ” no entry or exit is permitted at this time. You may move throughout the building(s) but stay away from exterior windows and doors. If you are outside, seek cover.”
A Daily Caller video journalist, Lisa Bennatan, shared a video from just outside the perimeter. It showed a large number of National Guard members outside the Capitol where a barrier was set up.
Current scene outside the #Capitol, multiple officers have reportedly been injured when a vehicle rammed into a checkpoint
“Current scene outside the #Capitol, multiple officers have reportedly been injured when a vehicle rammed into a checkpoint,” she wrote on Twitter.
Another Video Shows the Vehicle That Crashed Through the Barrier
NEW: A view of the scene along Independence Avenue, which rings the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Another video showed the vehicle which rammed through the barriers, according to NBC. The video clip following the crash shows a blue 4-door sedan with deployed airbags. The emergency lights were flashing.
Image from the US Capitol show a vehicle that crashed into a barricade.
Crime scene tape surrounded the vehicle.
“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,” U.S. Capitol Police wrote on Twitter. “A suspect is in custody. Both officers are injured. All three have been transported to the hospital.”
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