A U.S. Capitol Police officer was killed and another injured when a driver rammed his vehicle into them Friday at a main security checkpoint at the complex, site of a deadly riot on Jan. 6, acting Capitol Police chief Yogananda Pittman said.
The suspect, who exited the vehicle and ran aggressively at officers “with a knife in hand,” was shot and killed by responding officers, Chief Pittman said.
Chief Pittman said the suspect was not known to police and appeared to be acting alone. An investigation into the attack is underway and will be overseen by the District of Columbia’s Metropolitan Police Department.
William Evans, the officer was who was killed during the attack, was an 18-year veteran of Capitol Police. He was a member of the force’s first responder’s unit, a division with Capitol Police specifically trained to administer assistance at the site of emergencies.
The extent to which the second Capitol Police officer was injured remains unclear. Law enforcement has confirmed the second officer is being treated at a local hospital.
The incident began about 1 p.m. when the suspect rammed his blue car into the security checkpoint along Constitution Ave., on the Senate side of the complex.
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Due to the incident, the Capitol was placed on a security lockdown, meaning no one could enter or leave the buildings.
Congress was not in session for the Easter holiday, and there were fewer employees at the complex than normal on Friday.
Multiple police and emergency vehicles responded to the incident, and a helicopter landed on the plaza at the east front of the Capitol.
The Capitol is still being protected by National Guard troops since the deadly Jan. 6 riot in which five people died, including a Capitol police officer.
Security is still on heightened alert after the insurrection, in which thousands of supporters of then-President Trump stormed the Capitol in an effort to stop the Electoral College vote counting.
“I just ask that the public continue to keep U.S. Capitol police and their families in your prayers,” Chief Pittman said. “This has been an extremely difficult time for U.S. Capitol police after the events of January 6, and now the events that have occurred here today.”
• Haris Alic can be reached at halic@washingtontimes.com.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
• Kery Murakami can be reached at kmurakami@washingtontimes.com.
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