Capitol bomb threat: Suspect in police custody after hours-long standoff and demand to speak with Biden

US Capitol Police arrest Floyd Ray Roseberry following five-hour standoff

Floyd Ray Roseberry: Capitol bomb threat suspect identified, told his wife he was going fishing

A man suspected of initiating a bomb threat in Washington DC has surrendered to law enforcement following a nearly five-hour standoff.

Floyd Ray Roseberry, 49, from Grover in southern North Carolina, brought the nation’s capital to a standstill after streaming his rambling threats to Facebook while parked on the pavement outside the Library of Congress.

US Capitol Police reported that a bomb was not recovered from the truck but “but possible bomb making materials were collected” after Mr Roseberry’s arrest.

He reportedly told a Capitol Police officer at the scene that he had a bomb, and “the officer noticed what appeared to be a detonator in the man’s hand,” according to Capitol Police.

Roseberry “was communicating by holding up hand-written signs through the front, driver-side window,” police said.

Officers then gave him a phone “in hopes of trying to continue the dialogue.”

Following an hours-long standoff, he followed officers’ instructions and crawled away from the truck.

Nearby Capitol office buildings were evacuated. Both the House and the Senate are on recess, meaning most lawmakers are in their home states, but staffers and Library of Congress employees were working near the scene, prompting the evacuations. Police also went door to door to alert residents in the area.

An eyewitness says she saw a man in a black pickup truck in front of the Library of Congress shouting that he had “a bomb” while tossing dollar bills out of the window.

Sydney Bobb, 22, a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said she was on her way to a race in politics class near the Library of Congress at about 9.25am when she noticed the man in the vehicle.

“I was walking on that block because that’s where I go to class. He was shouting that he had a bomb. And then he threw money out the side of the truck,” Ms Bobb told The Independent by phone as she was being evacuated from her class.

The FBI and Department of Justice are assisting with the case.

Key Points

• Suspect surrenders to law enforcement peacefully
• Video shows suspect surrender and crawl away from pickup truck
• Capitol Police says suspect has ‘been moved away from the scene'
• Suspect was upset about result of presidential election, wife says
• Capitol Police hold press briefing after surrender of bomb threat suspect

[19 August 2021 17:00 · Gustaf Kilander]

House Sergeant at Arms: ‘This will likely be a prolonged law enforcement response'

[19 August 2021 17:03 · Bevan Hurley]

Man threatening Capitol with bomb is throwing dollar bills and ‘communicating with police using a white board’

An eyewitness says she saw a man in a black pickup truck in front of the Library of Congress shouting he had “a bomb” while tossing dollar bills out of the window.

Capitol police are responding to an “active bomb threat investigation” after a man in a pickup truck threatened to detonate an explosive device near the Library of Congress in Washington DC.

The area around the Library on Capitol Hill was being evacuated on Thursday morning and people are being urged to stay away from the area.

Sydney Bobb, 22, a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said she was on her way to a race in politics class near the Library of Congress at about 9.25am when she noticed a man in a black pickup truck shouting that he had a bomb.

“I was walking on that block because that’s where I go to class. He was shouting that he had a bomb. And then he threw money out the side of the truck,” Ms Bobb told The Independent by phone.

She said she couldn’t see any device in his truck.

[19 August 2021 17:15 · Gustaf Kilander]

Capitol Police chief says suspect appeared to have detonator in his hand and told officer he had a bomb

Capitol Police chief Thomas Manger, who only joined the department in July, said during a short press briefing that after 9am this morning, the bomb suspect outside the Library of Congress appeared to have a detonator in his hand, and told an officer that he had a bomb.

“We don’t know what his motives are at this time,” the chief said, adding that the negotiations with the suspect are “ongoing”.

Capitol Police, the Metropolitan Police, the FBI, the ATF, and DC Fire and EMS are all responding to the situation.

[19 August 2021 17:20 · Gustaf Kilander]

Police responded to ‘disturbance call’ as man drove onto sidewalk outside Library of Congress around 9.15am

[19 August 2021 17:26 · Gustaf Kilander]

Suspect claims to have propane tank in vehicle but law enforcement have not seen any explosive material

[19 August 2021 17:29 · Gustaf Kilander]

DC police evacuating residents around Library of Congress

[19 August 2021 17:43 · John Bowden]

Scene at police line largely quiet despite drama unfolding behind barricades

Despite the drama unfolding inside, the scene at the police line on 3rd Street and Independence Avenue remained largely quiet, save for some brief activity around noon when Capitol Police briefed reporters.

A few minutes after the presser ended, an EMS vehicle was seen arriving at the scene and being ushered through the police barricade.

The building was not at its usual capacity as most members were out of town for recess, but numerous staffers were still in the building as the house prepares to vote on the president’s infrastructure packages in the weeks ahead.

A handful of tourists also gawked at the scene for a few minutes but largely passed by without giving notice.

Law enforcement officers with rifles take position near the US Capitol building in Washington DC as police investigate a possible explosive device in a truck near the heart of American government (AP)

(AFP via Getty Images)

[19 August 2021 17:47 · Bevan Hurley]

Image shows alleged suspect in truck

Sydney Bobb, 22, a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said she was on her way to a race in politics class near the Library of Congress at about 9.25am when she noticed a man in a black pickup truck shouting that he had a bomb.

An eyewitness photo from near the Library of Congress shows the alleged suspect threatening the Capitol area with potential explosives. (Sydney Bobb)

“I was walking on that block because that’s where I go to class. He was shouting that he had a bomb. And then he threw money out the side of the truck,” Ms Bobb told The Independent by phone as she was being evacuated from her class.

[19 August 2021 18:11 · Gustaf Kilander]

Facebook removes livestream of Capitol bomb suspect

The Capitol bomb suspect was streaming live on Facebook, but the video has now been removed from the site.

The man was expressing anti-government views and demanding to speak to President Joe Biden.

MSNBC reported that the man is from North Carolina and has a previous criminal record.

He claimed to have a propane tank in his pickup truck, but no officers have been able to spot any explosive materials.

Negotiations with the suspect are ongoing.

Livestream screenshot shows man in truck

A screenshot from the livestream that was later removed from Facebook shows the apparent suspect in the active bomb threat investigation outside the Library of Congress.

The suspect in the bomb threat at the US Capitol posted a live-stream to Facebook (Facebook)

In his livestream, he expressed broad anti-government views and claimed to have a propane tank in his pickup truck.

A pickup truck is parked on the sidewalk in front of the Library of Congress' Thomas Jefferson Building, as seen from a window of the U.S. Capitol, Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021, in Washington. (AP)

19 August 2021 18:28