Officer, suspect killed after man rams car into Capitol barricades

The so-called seat of US democracy went into lockdown after a car crashed into one of the barriers surrounding the complex, killing one officer and injuring another. The suspect then brandished knife before being fatally shot in second attack on the US Capitol in three months.

Yogananda Pittman, acting chief of the United States Capitol Police, said a suspect and one US Capitol Police officer had died while a second officer was hospitalised after the incident.

“The suspect rammed his car into two of our officers, and then hit the North Barricade barrier. At such time the suspect exited the vehicle with a knife in hand,” she said in a press briefing, adding that the suspect did not respond to verbal commands and was shot by police after lunging towards them.

The officer who died was identified as William F. Evans, an 18-year veteran of the force who served with the department’s first responders unit. He was injured in the violent confrontation and died shortly after. 

Speaker Nancy Pelosi called him “a martyr for our democracy.” 

“This has been an extremely difficult time for US Capitol Police after the events of January 6 and now the events that have occurred here today,” Pittman said. “So I ask that you keep our US Capitol Police family in your thoughts and prayers.”

The Friday attack against US Capitol Police took place less than three months after the January 6 assault on Congress by pro-Trump supporters, who killed one Capitol Police officer and injured many others as they were trying to block the certification of Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election.

In a statement Friday afternoon, Biden also expressed condolences to the family of a Capitol Hill police officer who was killed and ordered the White House flags to be flown at half-staff to honor him.

“Jill and I were heartbroken to learn of the violent attack at a security checkpoint on the Capitol grounds, which killed Officer William Evans of the US Capitol Police, and left a fellow officer fighting for his life,” Biden said.

“We send our heartfelt condolences to Officer Evans’ family, and everyone grieving his loss. We know what a difficult time this has been for the Capitol, everyone who works there, and those who protect it,” he added. “As we mourn the loss of yet another courageous Capitol Police officer, I have ordered that the White House flags be lowered to half-mast.”

The incident comes as security fencing surrounding the Capitol has been reportedly reduced in recent weeks because some Republicans, citing the diminished threat of violence at the Capitol, called for scaling back some security measures.

Last month, Mitch McConnell, the minority leader of the Senate, complained that the cordon of fencing and armed soldiers was “overdone,” and said the militarized atmosphere reminded him of his “last visit to Kabul” in 2015.

After the Friday attack, he said, “Praying for the United States Capitol Police officers who were attacked at the Capitol. We are still learning what’s taken place.”

Metropolitan Police chief Robert Contee said his force was looking into the motive of this “senseless act” and added there did not appear to be an ongoing threat.

He added that the attack "does not appear to be terrorism-related, but obviously we'll continue to investigate to see if there's some type of nexus."

Some other members of Congress also reacted with dismay at the latest episode of violence against the US legislature, and expressed gratitude towards the US Capitol Police.

“The brave men and women of the United States Capitol Police put their lives on the line every day to protect the heart of our democracy. We are hoping and praying for the recovery of those injured in the line of duty,” said Amy Klobuchar, the Democratic senator from Minnesota.

“The question we have to ask is what is happening in our country, where we have people coming in, trying to use violence and knives and arms into the heart of American democracy, a monument of American democracy?” said Representative Ro Khanna.

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