2021 United States Capitol car attack

On April 2, Officer Billy Evans was posted at a checkpoint on Constitution Avenue usually used by senators and staff members on weekdays, about from the entrance of the building on the Senate side. The vehicle struck Evans and another officer; Evans was hospitalized and died from his injuries. The perpetrator was arrested, hospitalized, and died of his wounds soon afterward. The Capitol was placed on lockdown after the attack and staff were told to shelter in place, while members of the National Guard's Immediate Reaction Force mobilized near the checkpoint. The lockdown was lifted later that day. ==Victim==

William "Billy" Evans was the Capitol Police officer killed during the attack. He served for 18 years with the United States Capitol Police, and was a member of the first responder unit. He was the sixth Capitol Police officer to die in the line of duty since the force was created in 1828. ==Perpetrator==

Early life and education The assailant was Noah Ricardo Green, age 25, who was born on February 8, 1996, in Fairlea, West Virginia, into a family with ten children. In high school, he played football and participated in track and field. A U.S. official said Green increasingly suffered delusions, paranoia, and suicidal thoughts. Family and friends said Green believed people had drugged him with Xanax, leaving him with addiction and withdrawal symptoms. After moving into an apartment in Newport News, he reported hallucinations, headaches, heart palpitations, and suicidal thoughts. One day, admittedly inspired by drugs, he abruptly abandoned his apartment in Newport News and moved to Indianapolis. While there, he told his brother he believed his apartment was being broken into by intruders. His brother said he appeared to be mentally disturbed. Two days later, he made a post possibly referring to his claim of being drugged by teammates, blaming the drugging for steering him off the "right track". On Facebook, he posted messages in support of the NOI, as well as speeches and articles by Farrakhan and his predecessor Elijah Muhammad. He also posted a Farrakhan video titled "the crucifixion of Michael Jackson" on March 21. According to his brother, a few months before the attack, Green left Indianapolis and moved to Botswana, where he told his brother that "his mind was telling him to basically commit suicide." He jumped in front of a car, seriously injuring himself, then returned to the U.S., where he moved in with his brother. Two weeks before the attack, Green posted a photo of a "Certificate of Completion" for a $1,085 donation he had made, under the name "NoahX," to the Nation of Islam's Norfolk, Virginia chapter for Saviours' Day, along with a link to a Farrakhan speech called "The Divine Destruction of America". The night before the attack, he became violently ill and texted his brother, "I'm just going to go and live and be homeless." ==Investigation==

Investigators believe Green's attack was caused by a combination of his mental health issues and an ideological cause which he believed justified violence. He was not known to police before the attack and had no known connection to a member of Congress. ==Response==

Acting Capitol Police chief Yogananda Pittman said the attack "has been an extremely difficult time" for her police force, especially in the aftermath of the January 6 Capitol attack. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi called Evans a "martyr for democracy" She offered her condolences and support to Evans' mother and two children. He ordered flags lowered to half-staff at the White House and all public buildings, as a sign of respect for the service and sacrifice of Capitol Police officers. Green's family issued a statement, saying they "were just as taken aback as the rest of the nation from this horrific event" and "feel great sympathy" for the police officers attacked. Green was "not a terrorist by any means", had "depression and potential mental illness", and "hardships with his peers" that began after repeated head trauma from playing football. After the attack, the Nation of Islam distanced itself from Green. The group said that while Green sought to become a member of their organization, he was not a registered member of the Nation of Islam. It appears that in late summer (August–September) of 2020, he started the process to begin his study to become a member, but he did not complete the process. The group said Green's act "violates our teachings" and they "absolutely disavow this act that resulted in the senseless loss of life". ==See also==