WASHINGTON – A 49-year-old North Carolina man, who claimed to be carrying a bomb in a pickup truck parked near the U.S. Capitol, peacefully surrendered to police after an hours-long stand off with authorities that prompted an evacuation of parts of the government complex.
U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger identified the suspect as Floyd Ray Roseberry, who ultimately crawled from the cluttered cab of his pickup, ending an unusual confrontation.
Manger said Roseberry had recently suffered personal losses and was dealing with “other issues” that apparently prompted the incident.
The chief said investigators were still searching Roseberry’s truck for any possible explosive devices, suggesting the effort could take some time.
Manger said authorities first seized on the vehicle about 9:15 a.m. Thursday after it had been driven on the sidewalk outside the Library of Congress building by Roseberry who claimed to have a device and what appeared to be a detonator in his hand.
The scene played out, as Roseberry livestreamed at least part of the standoff with police on Facebook where he repeatedly appealed to President Joe Biden, referred to an approaching “revolution” and warned of four other devices that had been planted across the city.
Police confirmed it was Roseberry in the livestream.
“The revolution is on. It’s here,” he said in the video showing him seated at the wheel of the vehicle. “I’m looking for all my other patriots to come out and help me.”
The suspect, a white male, engaged in a rambling, largely anti-government narrative – at one point referring to the government’s chaotic exit from Afghanistan and “kids being raped.”
“I wanna go home,” the man said, “but they chose me to do this s—.”
The livestream also showed a large, weathered canister in the man’s lap, as he suggested that whatever explosives he was carrying would detonate if officers attempted to shoot him.
“We’re living in a free country, Joe,” he said to the president. “The choice is yours.”
Several congressional staffers confirmed to USA TODAY they were told about an active bomb threat Thursday morning. According to alerts sent by Capitol Police, roads around the Capitol complex were closed down and most of the buildings were evacuated.
Patricia McCabe, a public information officer for the Supreme Court, said the Supreme Court building was also evacuated shortly after 10 a.m. EST Thursday morning. It is closed to the public because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Both chambers of Congress are currently out of session for their summer breaks. Most lawmakers are currently not in their D.C. offices.
Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said she had been briefed on the investigation and urged the public to stay away from the Capitol area Thursday.
Capitol Police were joined in a large law enforcement response that included the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives and the D.C. Metropolitan Police.
The D.C. Metro Police Department canvassed the Capitol Hill residential neighborhood and asked residents to “evacuate outside of that area.”
The threat of an explosive near the Capitol recalled a chilling aspect of the Jan. 6 riot investigation that remains unresolved.
Two pipe bombs were placed near the headquarters of the Republican and Democratic national committees the night before the deadly Capitol siege. In that investigation, federal authorities have repeatedly appealed for the public’s help in locating a suspect seen wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt.
The post Bomb suspect surrenders to police near US Capitol, North Carolina man claimed to have bomb in pickup appeared first on The News Amed.