Source: Anadolu Agency / Getty
After a deadly insurrection attempt earlier this year put Washington D.C. and the entire nation on edge, there has been another incident involving the U.S. Capitol and its police officers that resulted in death.
Two Capitol Police officers were “rammed by a vehicle outside the building” earlier in the afternoon on April 2. One of those officers is now dead, according to the U.S. Capitol Police Department.
From WEWS News 5 Cleveland:
Acting U.S. Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman said the driver rammed the vehicle into the officers and hit the Capitol’s “north barricade barrier” shortly after 1 p.m. ET.
Afterwards, police say the suspect exited the vehicle with a knife in hand, didn’t respond to verbal commands and appeared to lunge towards the officers. Police then fired at the suspect, who has now died.
“At this time, the suspect has been pronounced deceased,” said Pittman.
It is not known as this moment what the suspect’s motive was in hitting those two officers.
As for officers who were hit, they were each taken to different hospitals.
One officer did not survive the injuries, according to Pittman. He has been identified as William ‘Billy’ Evans, who was an “18-year member of the Capitol Police.”
“It is with profound sadness that I share the news of the passing of Officer William ‘Billy’ Evans this afternoon from injuries he sustained following an attack at the North Barricade by a lone assailant,” Pittman says before adding that Evans “began his USCP service on March 7, 2003, and was a member of the Capitol Division’s First Responder’s Unit. Please keep Officer Evans and his family in your thoughts and prayers.”
She has also asked for prayers for all of the members of the Capitol Police, saying it “has been an extremely difficult time for U.S. Capitol Police after the events of Jan. 6 and now the events that have occurred here today, so I ask that you keep our U.S. Capitol Police family in your thoughts and prayers.”
Evans is now the fourth member of the Capitol Police Department to have died in 2021. Officer Brian Sicknick had passed away on Jan. 7, one day after the attack on the Capitol. Two more officers died through suicide several days after that attack.
Here is a look at an update regarding the ramming at the Capitol:
The Capitol was soon placed on lockdown. Those in the building each got a notice of an “external security threat.” They were also informed that “no one could enter or exit and were advised to stay away from exterior windows and doors.” If anyone was outside, then they must “seek cover.”
Jake Sherman from NBC News took to his Twitter account to report on what was happening at the moment, including video he had gotten of the outside of the building.
This comes as D.C. is still dealing with the aftermath of the insurrection as a large crowd stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 in hopes of stopping the certification of the 2020 Presidential Election that got now-President Joe Biden in the White House over now-former President Donald Trump.
Security has since been increased and this latest incident will likely keep that protection in place or add even more security.
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Article Courtesy of WEWS News 5 Cleveland
First Picture Courtesy of Win McNamee and Getty Images
Second Picture Courtesy of Anadolu Agency and Getty Images
First and Fourth Video Courtesy of Facebook and WEWS News 5 Cleveland
First through Third Tweet, Third and Fourth Picture and Second and Third Video Courtesy of Twitter and WEWS News 5 Cleveland
