Capitol Police Detain ‘Suspicious Individual’ After Sidewalk Encounter Near U.S. Capitol – One America News Network
OAN Staff Blake Wolf
10:55 AM – Wednesday, January 2, 2025
U.S. Capitol police have taken a man into custody who was reportedly driving his vehicle on a sidewalk close to the Capitol building.
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Authorities are on high alert in the wake of the New Year’s Day terror attack in New Orleans, which resulted in the deaths of at least 15 individuals.
After receiving reports of a possible intoxicated driver, Capitol officers swiftly detained the suspect, charging him with reckless driving while the area was closed off for a bomb squad inspection.
“Before 10 a.m., our officers observed a vehicle driving along the sidewalk near Peace Circle and into the grassy area close to Third Street, NW, and Constitution Avenue. The individual was taken into custody. Please avoid the area while we conduct our investigation,” Capitol Police posted on X.
Security measures around the U.S. Capitol were already intensified due to the swearing-in of new congressional members on Friday and the upcoming speaker election. President-elect Donald Trump is also to be certified on Monday amid a series of significant political events, leading to an increased security presence.
The department subsequently informed the public in another post on X, indicating: “Our bomb squad has cleared the vehicle and confirmed it is safe. The driver faces charges for reckless driving. Kindly continue to avoid the area as our investigators proceed. Roads will reopen shortly. Have a safe day.”
Authorities have not yet disclosed the name or age of the driver, nor have they confirmed whether the individual was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the incident.
This suspicious incident follows the New Year’s Day attacks when a 42-year-old man allegedly influenced by ISIS drove a truck into a crowd celebrating the New Year on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, resulting in numerous casualties. The man was identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, an Army veteran. Additionally, another suspected attack occurred hours later when a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas, killing the driver and injuring seven others.
Tesla founder Elon Musk commented on the Cybertruck incident, suggesting it “seems likely to be an act of terrorism.”
“We have now confirmed that the explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck and is unrelated to the vehicle itself. All vehicle telemetry was normal at the time of the explosion,” Musk added.
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