Capitol Hill bomb threat suspect delivered rant on social media during incident

All eyes are on the nation’s capital after yet another tense day. Capitol Police say a man who claimed to have a bomb in his truck on Capitol Hill is in now custody, but it caused hours of chaos and disruption in the area.

Police say around 9:15 a.m. Thursday, a black pickup truck drove onto the sidewalk in front of the Library of Congress.

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The driver, who Capitol Police have identified as 49-year-old Floyd Roseberry of North Carolina, told an officer he had a bomb and police saw what appeared to be a detonator in the man’s hand.

Officers immediately evacuated nearby buildings, including the Library of Congress Buildings and the Cannon Office Building.

Roseberry was on Facebook Live during some of the ordeal, repeatedly asking to speak with President Joe Biden and warning law enforcement that if they shot into his car, the device would explode.

He could be heard saying, "you can shoot me and kill me right here and blow up two and a half city blocks."



Police used whiteboards to communicate messages with him and even used a robot to get him a cell phone to communicate. However, he did not use the phone to speak with authorities. After some time, Roseberry willingly surrendered.

FOX 5 spoke with a young lady who just moved to DC today and will be working on Capitol Hill.

"It’s scary to hear that someone has that power over people or wants to have that power over people," Capitol Hill resident Alexia Spentzas said. 

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The yellow crime scene tape has now been removed and Pennsylvania Avenue is back open, but it’s been hard for residents and visitors to get around the area today. 

"It’s hot, I’ve been walking for hours trying to get to the U.S. Supreme Court building," said Jason Schuyler, who is visiting DC. "A lot of the roads are closed, so I’ve just been trying to navigate my way around the outside. Stopped at a bar, had a couple drinks, kept going."



Many are upset that the incident happened in the first place, saying it’s an example of polarization in the country. 

"I’m just sad there’s so much divisiveness. We could all come together and talk," mom Stasia Spentzas said. "We just have to listen to each other. Obviously, this man has an ax to grind and it’s sad."

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A long and exhausting day for many who were not expecting such disruption.

"It’s a little disheartening," Schuyler said. "Washington State is a long way aways. I don’t make it over here often. It’s my first time in DC. Saw most of the monuments today and wanted to make it to the Supreme Court today so it’s a little frustrating."
 
According to Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger, Roseberry has been dealing with family issues including the loss of his mother, but we still don’t know his exact motive. Chief Manger says more details will be provided at a later time.