Man Claiming to Have Bomb Near Capitol Surrenders

A man who claimed to have bomb in a pickup truck near the US Capitol has surrendered to law enforcement, ending an hourslong standoff on Thursday, per the AP. The man, identified by law enforcement officials as Floyd Ray Roseberry, 49, of North Carolina, crawled out of the vehicle and was taken into custody shortly before 2:30pm. He had pulled up outside the library earlier in the day and told police he had a bomb in his truck. An officer saw what appeared to be a detonator in the man's hand. The man had been negotiating with police during a standoff that lasted around five hours. Police later said they did not find a bomb in the vehicle, but possible bomb-making materials were collected from it, per the AP.

"He gave up, did not resist, and our folks were able to take him into custody," said US Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger, per NPR. "We don't know what his motives are at this time." Officials evacuated a number of buildings around the Capitol and sent snipers to the area when the threat first emerged. Police negotiators communicated with Roseberry as he wrote notes and showed them to authorities from inside the truck. The vehicle appeared to be stuffed with coins and boxes. Roseberry was threatening explosions, making anti-government threats, and talking about what he believes are the ills of the country, including the US position on Afghanistan, health care, and the military, per the AP. (More bomb threat stories.)