Who is the suspect in killing of US Capitol Police officer?
One US Capitol Police officer was killed and another left seriously injured when a car was driven at a security checkpoint at the Capitol on Friday.
One US Capitol Police officer was killed and another hospitalised with serious injuries following a security incident in Washington DC on Friday afternoon. A motorist drove into a security checkpoint, the north barricade on Constitution Avenue at around 1 p.m. mowing down two officers. The suspect then got out of the vehicle he was driving, a dark blue Nissan Altima sedan, and ran towards the two officers wielding a knife. He was shot by one of the officers and taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead. Capitol Police (USCP) identified the officer killed as William “Billy” Evans, a 41-year-old western Massachusetts native who had been with the force since 2003. The Capitol was on lockdown for several hours after the incident with surrounding streets cordoned off.
Suspect named as Noah Green
The suspect has been named as Noah Green, a 25-year-old Indiana resident who, according to law enforcement officials, was a follower of the Nation of Islam although there is no known motive for the attack. Few details have emerged about Green, other than he was sharing an apartment with his brother in Covington, Virginia. He is believed to have been in employment but recently lost his job and according to comments made on his Facebook page, the past few years had been tough for him and the past few months even tougher. He was enrolled on a part-time MBA online course at Florida State University and records show he recently travelled to Botswana and South Africa but was not known to police or listed on the FBI’s TSDB watchlist. NBC News report that Green filed a petition to legally change his name in December but the case was dismissed because he failed to turn up for his hearing.
An investigation into the attack continues but the lockdown of the Capitol was lifted on Friday afternoon.
President Biden shocked and saddened by attack
President Joe Biden offered his condolences to Evans' family while House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ordered the flags at the US Capitol to be flown at half-mast, they were also lowered at the White House. "Jill and I were heartbroken to learn of the violent attack at a security checkpoint on the US Capitol grounds, which killed Officer William Evans of the U.S. Capitol Police, and left a fellow officer fighting for his life," Biden said. "We send our heartfelt condolences to Officer Evans' family, and everyone grieving his loss. We know what a difficult time this has been for the Capitol, everyone who works there, and those who protect it". Biden said he has been receiving ongoing briefings on the incident and will be getting further updates as the investigation proceeds.