US Capitol on lockdown after car rams 2 cops, suspect arrested

Two police officers were injured near the US Capitol on Friday after being rammed by a vehicle whose driver was subsequently arrested, police said.

The US Capitol Police has confirmed that two officers have been injured after a car attempted to run through a security checkpoint.

"USCP is responding to the North Barricade vehicle access point along Independence Avenue for reports someone rammed a vehicle into two USCP officers," the agency said in a statement on Twitter.

"A suspect is in custody. Both officers are injured. All three have been transported to the hospital," it added.

A senior congressional aide and a US Capitol Police source tell CNN that after the driver of the vehicle rammed his car into a barricade on Constitution Avenue, the driver exited the vehicle brandishing a knife. USCP responded, shooting the suspect and taking him into custody.

US Capitol Police say all Capitol buildings were being locked down due to an external security threat and staff members were told they could not enter or exit the buildings.

There had been previous reports that gunshots were fired at the security checkpoint, but the USCP statement does not mention anything about that.

The incident comes as the security situation on Capitol Hill remains top of mind for many lawmakers despite a recent ramping down of some additional protective measures that were put into place after the January 6 insurrection.

After pro-Trump rioters stormed the building, barbed wire fencing surrounded the Capitol complex for months. Thousands of the National Guard troops were also deployed.

However, now most of them have been removed, though thousands still remain in Washington due to lingering security concerns.

Source : DNA India