A suspect has been shot dead and one police officer has been killed in a security incident near the US Capitol Building.
Shortly after 13:00 local time, a man in a blue sedan rammed his car into a barricade at the US Capitol, striking two police officers, before then running towards the officers with a knife. The suspect was shot by an officer and transferred to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The two police officers were transported to different hospitals, and one has succumbed to his injuries.
In a statement, the US Capitol Police said, “We are devastated to share the sad news that one of our officers involved in this afternoon’s incident passed away. USCP is working to notify the officer’s next of kin before it releases additional information”.
The incident led to the lockdown of the US Capitol building and a number of surrounding streets. Staff inside the building were warned to stay away from exterior windows and doors during the lockdown, which has now been lifted.
The incident is not believed to be terrorist-related.
The attack comes three months after insurrectionists who supported Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol building, leading to the death of five people including one police officer. Fencing around the Capitol complex and a number of additional security measures that were put in place following the January 6 riots have recently been removed, though there remains a heightened presence of officers and troops in the area due to security concerns.
