US: Suspect, officer killed in Capitol car ramming

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA): A police officer died on Friday after a suspect rammed a vehicle into him and another officer at the US Capitol.

After striking the officers with his vehicle and hitting an erected barricade, the suspect exited his vehicle with a knife in hand and lunged at other law enforcement personnel, Acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman told reporters at a news conference.

Officers then opened fire on the suspect, and he has since been pronounced dead. Pittman said the officers who were rammed by the suspect were transported to different hospitals where one “succumbed to his injuries.”

Pittman later identified the deceased officer as William Evans, an 18-year Capitol Police veteran.

Media reports separately identified the suspect as Noah Green, 25, of Indiana. He is identified as a follower of the Nation of Islam on social media, according to NBC News.

President Joe Biden ordered the flag at the White House to be flown a half-staff.

“I have been receiving ongoing briefings from my homeland security adviser and will be getting further updates as the investigation proceeds,” the president said. “I want to express the nation’s gratitude to the Capitol police … and others who quickly responded to this attack. [We] mourn the loss of yet another courageous Capitol police officer.”

Vice President Kamala Harris issued a statement Friday regarding the death of US Capitol Police Officer William Evans, saying that he “made the ultimate sacrifice protecting the Capitol and those who work there on behalf of the American people.”

“Officer Evans, his family, and all those who knew him are in our hearts and prayers. We mourn with them during this difficult time,” she said in the statement.

A mob of former US President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol building, overrunning police and killing one officer as they sought to prevent Congress from carrying out a key constitutional step ahead of President Joe Biden’s inauguration.

“This has been an extremely difficult time for the US Capitol Police after the events of Jan. 6, and now the events that have occurred here today,” Pittman said, referring to the day the Capitol was overrun in January.

Authorities said it was too early to determine the motive “behind this senseless act,” said Washington, D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee. But he said it “does not appear to be terrorism-related.”

“But obviously we’ll continue to investigate to see if there’s some kind of nexus along those lines,” he said.

The North Barricade where the ramming took place is located along Constitution Avenue near the Senate side of the Capitol. Nearby streets have been shuttered amid a heavy National Guard presence on Capitol grounds.

Additional report by The Muslim News

[Photo: Members of US Capitol police and national guard remove a vehicle after a police officer died Friday following a suspect rammed the vehicle into him and another officer at the US Capitol on April 02, 2021 in Washington, DC, United States. Photographer: Mostafa Bassim Adly/]

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