WASHINGTON, D.C. – The US Capitol grounds were placed under a lockdown on Friday following reports of a security incident at the Capitol’s northern barricade involving a vehicle.
US Capitol Police confirmed on Friday that two officers were injured in the incident, and people in the vicinity have been advised to take cover, according to multiple reports.
One of the two officers injured in today’s attack near the US Capitol Building has died, police confirmed later. The Police officer died of his injuries Friday after someone rammed a vehicle into the North Barricade vehicle access point of the U.S. Capitol, according to acting USCP chief Yogananda Pittman. The suspect is also dead, police said.
A helicopter landed on the east front of the Capitol shortly after the alert was sent, according to video posted to Twitter by Jake Sherman, a reporter for Punchbowl News.
U.S. Capitol Police said in a tweet that officers were “responding to the North Barricade vehicle access point along Independence Avenue for reports someone rammed a vehicle into two USCP officers,” then corrected that to say the incident was at the Constitution Avenue access point.
U.S. Capitol Police announced on Twitter that there will be a press briefing at 2:45 p.m. This is the first time that Capitol Police has briefed the press since January 6.
UPDATE: 2:30PM EST
Capitol Police Officer William “Billy” Evans, who served for 18 years, is dead and another officer is injured after a male suspect rammed them with a car at a north entrance to the U.S. Capitol on Friday.
“It is with a very, very heavy heart that I announce one of our officers has succumbed to his injuries,” Capitol Police Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman said at a news conference Friday. She later disclosed his name in a statement: Officer William “Billy” Evans, an 18-year veteran of the Capitol Police.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has ordered Capitol flags to half-staff in honor of Evans.
President Biden on Friday said in a statement: “[Dr. Biden] and I were heartbroken to learn of the violent attack at a security checkpoint on the U.S. Capitol grounds, which killed Officer William Evans of the U.S. Capitol Police, and left a fellow officer fighting for his life…” I have been receiving ongoing briefings from my Homeland Security Advisor, and will be getting further updates as the investigation proceeds,” the president added.
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