| CNN | - |
(CNN)
-- Lockdown at U.S. Capitol lifted following car chase, gunfire. --
Police: Secret Service encountered car whose driver tried to pass
barricade near White House around 2:15 p.m.
Car chase ends with gunfire near U.S. Capitol
updated 4:50 PM EDT, Thu October 3, 2013
A police officer and K9 inspect
the scene after a car chase and reports of gunshots fired outside of the
Hart Senate Office Building on Captiol Hill on Thursday, October 3 in
Washington. Police said the U.S. Capitol was put on security lockdown.
HIDE CAPTION
Shooting on Capitol Hill
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- NEW: Witness says police opened fire when vehicle hit police car, sped away
- Source: suspect was a woman who was shot; child was in the car
- Car chase began near White House ended in front of the Capitol
- NEW: Sources say there is no indication that any shots were fired from the car
The child appeared to be uninjured, according to the source and witnesses.
Capitol Police said an officer was injured in a crash during the afternoon chase that began near the White House.
The chaotic scene, with
gunfire erupting near the heart of the U.S. government, brought a swarm
of emergency vehicles and caused Congress and surrounding offices to be
temporarily locked down. Representatives and senators were in the
buildings.
House and Senate sessions were immediately suspended. Police also closed Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House.
Source: Capitol suspect is a woman
Capitol Hill: Scenes of panic
Witness: 'You could smell the gunpowder'
House stops abruptly
CNN's Athena Jones, who was at a Senate office building near the Capitol, said she heard gunshots that sounded like fireworks.
The chase began when the
woman driving a black sedan got involved in some kind of verbal
altercation with officers at a security checkpoint a block from the
White House, the intelligence source said.
As police cars arrived at
the scene, the vehicle sped away and led police on a wild chase that
included running red lights, according to the source.
When the vehicle
approached the area of the Capitol building more than a mile away,
several squad cars stopped it and officer "came out with their guns
drawn," said Frank Schwing, a D.C. resident who witnessed what happened.
The armed officers tried to open the passenger side door, he said.
"At that point, the
driver slammed into reverse, slammed into a cruiser, did a 180 (degree
turn), took off, and at that point, there were a half dozen or so shots
fired," Schwing told CNN, apparently all by small arms from police.
The black vehicle then crashed into security barriers closer to the Capitol building, said police and witnesses.
Multiple sources told
CNN that it is not believed at this point any shots were fired from the
car and no weapon has been found so far.
In Congress, a Capitol
Police bulletin said reports of gunshots required "all occupants in all
House office buildings to shelter in place."
"Close, lock and stay
away from external doors and windows," the bulletin said. Authorities
later lifted the lockdown, with police saying they believed the incident
was isolated with no connection to terrorism.
Two people, including a police officer, were transported to a local hospital.
President Barack Obama
was briefed on the situation, which occurred on the third day of a
government shutdown due to a stalemate in Congress over government
funding.
"The timing on this was
really kind of scary," said Republican Rep. Blake Farenthold of Texas.
"Capitol Hill police are at a lower personnel level because of the
shutdown."
end quote from:
No comments:
Post a Comment