National Guard presence around the Capitol after a suspect rammed a police checkpoint
National Guard presence around the Capitol after a suspect rammed a police checkpoint on April 2, 2021.
John Haltiwanger/Business Insider
  • The National Guard sent an immediate reaction force out to bolster security at the Capitol Friday.
  • A suspect on Friday rammed a police checkpoint, killing one police officer.
  • The Guard presence in DC has been higher than normal since the riot at the Capitol earlier this year.
  • See more stories on Insider's business page.

The National Guard deployed an immediate reaction force to the US Capitol Friday afternoon after someone rammed a police checkpoint, killing one officer and injuring another, the Guard said in a statement.

The IRF consisted of soldiers and airmen ready to support Capitol Police. The Guard said that "due to operational security, we cannot discuss further details regarding the IRF."

Capitol Police reported this afternoon that an unidentified suspect "rammed a vehicle into two USCP officers." The suspect, who is said to have gotten out of the car with a knife, was shot and has died. One Capitol police officer was killed in the attack and another has been hospitalized.

Multiple videos captured National Guard troops responding to the incident at the Capitol.

As the National Guard said in its statement, there are more than 2,300 Guard members in Washington, DC supporting local, state, and federal authorities.

The National Guard presence is significantly smaller than the more than 25,000 Guard members that were deployed to the nation's capital following the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol complex and heightened security surrounding President Joe Biden's inauguration.

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