(PartiallyPolitics.com) – On Wednesday afternoon reporters in the Russell Senate Office Building tried to flee the scene following instructions to leave, but they were blocked by a group of U.S. Capitol Police officers who were blocking their way while also pointing their guns at them.
One of the officers ordered that all of the people in the press corps show their hands. The reason for the commotion was that Capitol police had been under the impression that there was an active shooter in the Senate hallways, while press and aides tried to flee the building fast.
The case appeared to be one of “swatting” meaning that someone had planned to call the police. These hoaxes lead to law enforcement officers, or those in the SWAT team being quickly dispatched to a set location.
In some cases, an innocent bystander may be accidentally targeted as a result of the squatting and could even be injured because of it. During the incident on Capitol Hill, no one was injured.
The incident occurred after Washington, D.C. police had gotten a 911 call in which they were told that an “active shooter” was in the Hart Senate Office Building. This information was then relayed to the U.S. Capitol Police.
Tom Manger, the U.S. Capitol Police Chief revealed that from the information they received they were looking for a “heavy Hispanic male” in body armor. He added that around 20 officers were immediately sent into the Senate office buildings to search all the floors for the alleged gunman. There were no gunshots heard during the incident and no one in the Senate saw anyone carrying a gun.
Copyright 2023, PartiallyPolitics.com
