DC police close Capitol complex & nearby streets over bomb threat (VIDEO)

Police in Washington, DC have closed roads around the US Capitol and the Department of Health, following reports of a bomb threat in the area on Wednesday.

Six roads, including Washington Avenue and Third Street, were closed as Capitol Police investigated a bomb threat at the US Department of Health and Human Services on Independence Avenue – which was also closed by police.

Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Sarah Lovenheim said, “Out of an abundance of caution, we evacuated the building and there is no reported incident.”

Capitol Police assisted in a separate search on Sunday after a threat was made towards officers. The man behind the threat claimed to have weapons and explosives, and said he was near the US Capitol.

In August, another man, who parked outside the Library of Congress, claimed his vehicle was wired up to explosives.

Capitol Police have also investigated several incidents involving elected officials this month. Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar claimed on Tuesday that her office had received a package containing “a suspicious substance and a threat reading ‘The Patriarchy will rise again,’” while Republican Representative Matt Gaetz said last week that a man had traveled across the country to Washington, DC “with the explicit goal of killing me.”

The Department of Justice is still investigating an incident in which pipe bombs were allegedly left near the US Capitol on the day before the January 6 Capitol riots.

Quite the police presence in front of the Capitol itself pic.twitter.com/nYHU4LTlV0

— Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) October 27, 2021

UPDATE: @CapitolPolice have closed further roads around the Capitol complex as they investigate a bomb threat at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. @wusa9 pic.twitter.com/63v06MAQeB

— Jordan Fischer (@JordanOnRecord) October 27, 2021

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