Police officer killed and suspect shot dead after vehicle attack at US Capitol

The United States Capitol locked down on Friday afternoon after a car rammed into a barricade.

Capitol Police confirmed that the car hit two officers in front of the barricade.

One officer died and the other has been hospitalized. The driver was shot and killed.

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A Capitol Police officer died and another was injured after someone rammed a car into a barricade outside the US Capitol on Friday, Yogananda Pittman, the acting Capitol Police chief, said at a press conference.

After hitting the barricade, the driver "exited the car with a knife in hand" and "lunged" at the officers before one of them opened fire, killing the driver, she added. Multiple news outlets, including NBC News, CNN, and The New York Times, identified the driver as Noah Green, 25, of Indiana.

Capitol Police also identified the fallen officer as William "Billy" Evans, an 18-year veteran of the department.

"It is with a very, very heavy heart that I announce one of our officers has succumbed to his injuries," Pittman said. "I just ask that the public keep the U.S. Capitol Police and their families in your prayers."

—U.S. Capitol Police (@CapitolPolice) April 2, 2021

The Capitol went into lockdown earlier on Friday after Capitol Police sent out an alert telling people in the complex to stay indoors because of an "external security threat." Congress was in recess, and neither the House nor the Senate was in session.

Videos posted to social media by reporters in the building showed a heavy police presence outside the Capitol. At one point, a helicopter was seen landing on the premises, and the National Guard was deployed after the incident.

Witnesses reported that a car crashed into the barricade outside the Capitol shortly after 1 p.m. ET.

A pair of stretchers was also seen by a reporter as first responders arrived on the scene.

For hours, members of the National Guard and armed Capitol Police officers lined a perimeter blocking everyone, including reporters, from getting closer.

A Capitol Police officer told Insider he was moved from a hard squad to help with the lockdown. He said officers were armed with M4 rifles, in addition to their Glocks. The officer said the lockdown was longer than expected, as authorities sought more information about the incident.

The lockdown was lifted just after 3 p.m. ET. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's deputy chief of staff said she ordered the flags at the Capitol to be flown at half-staff in light of the events.

Friday's incident comes less than three months after hundreds of former President Donald Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol to interrupt a joint session of Congress that was underway to finalize President Joe Biden's election win. At least five people, including a Capitol Police officer, died during the insurrection.