WASHINGTON, D.C — At about 1 p.m EST, today, April 2, an incident at the North Barricade of the United States Capitol, along Independence Avenue occurred. One Capitol Police officer was killed after a car rammed two officers on duty.

According to a statement by the Capitol Police, “A man in a blue sedan rammed his vehicle into the North Barricade at the U.S Capitol, striking two USCP officers. The Department immediately locked down the Capitol Campus. The man exited the vehicle with a knife and ran toward our officers. At least one officer drew their weapon and shot the suspect.”

“One USCP officer was transported by a USCP cruiser to the hospital. The second USCP officer was transported by DC Fire and EMS. The suspect was also transported by DC Fire and EMS to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries around 1:30 p.m.”

During a press conference, this afternoon Acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman said, “It is with a very very heavy heart that I announce one of our officers has succumbed to his injuries.”

A fence was erected around the Capitol Campus following the attack at the Capitol on January 6.

Wyoming Representative Liz Cheney shared a tweet offering her condolences to the officers.

Our deepest condolences to the family of the @CapitolPolice officer who was killed today defending our Capitol. US Capitol Police put their lives on the line to protect us and our republic. They deserve our unwavering support.

— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) April 2, 2021

Senator John Barrasso shared a similar sentiment, tweeting his condolences.

Lindsay is a contributing reporter covering a little bit of everything; with an interest in local policies and politics, the environment and amplifying community voices. She's curious about uncovering the "whys" of our region and aims to inform the community about the issues that matter. In her free time, you can find her snowboarding, cooking or planning the next surf trip.