Police officers and other law enforcement officials are in the midst of ongoing negotiations with a suspect who claimed to have a bomb in their truck outside the Library of Congress on Capitol Hill, officials confirmed Thursday.
“Around 9:15 this morning a man in a black pickup drove onto the sidewalk in front of the Lbrary of Congress,” U.S. Capitol Police chief Tom Manger said during an afternoon press conference, adding: “The driver of the truck told the responding officer on the scene that he had a bomb, and what appeared to the officer to be a detonator in the man’s hand.”
It is unclear whether officials have confirmed whether there is, in fact, an active explosive device in the suspect’s truck, but negotiators are currently “hard at work trying to have a peaceful resolution to this incident.”
Officials would not release the name of the suspect, but did confirm that the suspect was live-streaming from his truck to Facebook. Manger also said they are unsure of the suspect’s motive at this time.
U.S. Capitol Police called it an “active bomb threat investigation” on Twitter and told people to “avoid the area around the Library of Congress.”
Capitol Police said officers were “responding to a suspicious vehicle near the Library of Congress,” which is near the U.S. Capitol and the Supreme Court.
The FBI said that it is responding to the incident.
The White House is aware of the situation and is being briefed by law enforcement. Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser has also been briefed.
Police have also evacuated congressional staff offices nearby, encouraging people to “remain calm and relocate to Longworth House Office Building using the underground tunnels.”
Congress is on break this week.
The area was blocked off by police cars and barricades. Also responding were the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The incident comes months after a pipe bomb was left at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee in Washington a day before thousands of pro-Trump rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol in January.
This is a developing story. Check back later for further updates.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
