Carnage at Capitol
Police officer killed as knifeman slams car into barrier
A KNIfE-WIELDING attacker ran over and killed a police officer before being shot dead outside the US Capitol yesterday.
The car slammed into two officers before hitting a barricade near the same building stormed by rioters after a speech by former president Donald Trump in January.
The driver jumped out with a knife before ‘lunging’ at those in uniform closest to him, said acting chief of the Capitol police force Yogananda Pittman.
She told a press conference: ‘He exited the vehicle with a knife. We engaged but he did not respond.
‘He did start to lunge towards police officers, at which time they fired upon the suspect.
‘It is with a very, very heavy heart that I say one of our officers has succumbed to his injuries.’
No details were released about the fallen officer. Police said they were not treating the attack as terrorism at the moment but would continue investigating.
Congress is on recess so it was mostly empty apart from a handful of politicians and staff, who were told the building was being locked down due to an ‘external security threat’.
A PA announcement told everyone to stay indoors and away from windows after the sound of gunshots rang out. Democrat congressman ro Khanna said he left his Washington office for lunch, then panicked staff called telling him to stay away.
referring to the Capitol insurrection, he told CNN: ‘Honestly, it did bring back memories of January 6. There is a sense that now simply going to work is something that has become dangerous.
‘I can’t imagine saying that going to the Capitol to represent your constituents is actually a dangerous thing. It’s deeply saddening.’
The attack came more than a week after officials removed a second barbed wire-topped fence around the Capitol and reopened local streets to traffic for the first time since before Joe Biden’s January inauguration.
Mr Biden left Washington earlier yesterday to spend Easter at presidential retreat Camp David.
Before the January riot, Mr Trump – who repeatedly contested the election – had encouraged his supporters to ‘fight like hell’.
Mr Trump denied responsibility for the insurrection, which left five dead, including a police officer.