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A police officer has been killed in an attack on the US Capitol, in which a suspect rammed his vehicle into a police car, before being shot dead.
In an incident that sent alarm across the nation as it prepared for the Spring break holiday, authorities said the as yet unidentified suspect, had driven into a car containing two officers.
He then got out, apparently carrying a knife, and lunged at the officers, before he was shot, suffering fatal injuries.
Yogananda Pittman, acting head of the Capitol Hill police force, said the incident had happened at around 1.30pm and that the suspect and both officers were taken to hospital.
“It is with a very, very heavy heart that I announce one of our officers has succumbed to his injuries,” she said.
The suspect also died.
“I just ask that the public continue to keep the US Capitol police in their prayers,” she said.
“This has been an extremely difficult time for the Capitol police after the events of 6th January and now this.”
The incident came three months after hundreds of supporters of Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol, in an attempt to stop a Joint Session of Congress ratifying the electoral votes for Joe Biden. As many as 140 officers were injured in that incident, and one of them, Brian Sicknick, died.
Officers said an investigation had been launch into Friday’s incident, which took place as Congress was largely empty of people, and Mr Biden was at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland.
While no details have yet been provided of the officers or the suspect, officials said it did not appear the person who drove at the police officers, was known by authorities prior to Friday.
“It does not appear to be terrorism-related but obviously we’ll continue to investigate,” said Robert Contee, acting chief of the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington
Dozens of police cars, marked and unmarked, raced toward the domed white building, that has come to represent the bedrock of US democracy, especially in the aftermath of 6 January. Mr Trump was impeached by the House for a second time, in that instance for inciting a riot, for speech he gave to supporters shortly before they stormed the building and he told them to “fight hard”.
“Clearly this was someone who was actively trying to just get at whoever or whatever – we just don’t know right now, so we have a responsibility to investigate that to get to the bottom of this. Whether the attack was at law enforcement, or whoever, we have a responsibility to get to the bottom of it and we’ll do that,” added Mr Contee said.
A helicopter was seen hovering overhead and observers were ordered to leave the area. Videos from the scene showed what appeared to be two people on stretchers being loaded into ambulances.
Journalists were told to stay away from windows.
Dozens of National Guard troops, who have been stationed at the Capitol since the January attack, quickly deployed after the incident. In riot gear, they jogged in columns to deploy at the scene and around the complex.
Authorities have begun only in the past couple of weeks to remove the outer ring of high, razor-wire-topped fencing erected around the Capitol complex.
Additional reporting by agencies
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