US Capitol Police officers stand near a car that crashed into a barrier on Capitol Hill in Washington.
One Capitol Hill police officer succumbed to injuries while another was injured after a car rammed a barricade outside the complex on Friday afternoon. The driver of the car, who was shot by cops, have also died. Following the incident, the Capitol Hill area was put on lockdown.
Capitol Police say the crash happened at a checkpoint near the Capitol. It comes as the Washington region remains on edge nearly three months after a mob of armed insurrectionists stormed the Capitol as Congress was voting to certify Joe Biden’s presidential win.
Capitol Police say that someone “rammed a vehicle into two USCP officers” and that a suspect was taken into custody.
The law enforcement officials told the AP that the suspect was shot and was being taken to the hospital in critical condition. One of the officers who was injured was taken by police car to the hospital; the other was transported by emergency medical crews, the officials said.
The officials could not discuss the matter publicly and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.
The U.S. Capitol complex was placed on lockdown after the shooting and staff were told they could not enter or exit buildings.
Fencing that prevented vehicular traffic near that area was recently removed as the Capitol has started to open up after the January 6 riots.
