Erratic Driver Causes Chaos on Capitol Hill
A woman drove into a police cruiser and nearly ran over U.S. Capitol police officers on Wednesday morning shortly before being taken into custody. Shots were fired during the incident, but no injuries were reported, authorities said.
The incident happened on Independence Avenue SW around 9:30 a.m. local time, a spokesperson said. Officers noticed an “erratic driver” and when they attempted to stop her, she made a U-turn in an attempt to flee the scene. She “nearly struck” officers and hit one vehicle, causing police to briefly pursue her, Capitol Police spokeswoman Eva Malecki said.
Malecki said shots were fired during the attempt to arrest the driver, though she did not provide further details, including who fired the shots.
The incident is being treated as a criminal matter and has no apparent connections to terrorism, Capitol Police said. Many drew direct comparisons to the attack in London when a man drove through crowds on Westminster Bridge and then tried to gain access to the Houses of Parliament. Four people were killed.