CINCINNATI –
An Ohio emergency management agency said a conflict ended on Thursday between law enforcement and an armed man suspected of attempting to enter the FBI’s Cincinnati office. .
State police earlier said the man had “unknown injuries” after he fled and exchanged gunfire with law enforcement.
An update posted to the Clinton County Emergency Management Agency’s Facebook page said “law enforcement activities and responses” were over, but did not include information on how to resolve the deadlock. rule or condition of the suspect.
Officials said the man was wearing body armor and was pursued on a highway, then abandoned his vehicle on nearby country roads bordered by forests and farm fields just off I-71, about 45 miles from Cincinnati. miles (72 km) to the northeast.
The confrontation comes as officials warn of an increase in threats against federal agents in the days following a raid on former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
Federal officials said the man “tried to enter” the visitor screening area at the FBI office and fled when agents confronted him. After fleeing onto Interstate 71, he was spotted by a soldier and opened fire as troops pursued him, said Lieutenant Nathan Dennis, a spokesman for the Ohio State Highway Patrol. know.
The suspect left the interstate north of Cincinnati and left his car on a country road, where he exchanged gunfire with police. The man had “unknown injuries,” but no one else was injured, the patrol said.
State highway officers blocked roads leading to the scene as a helicopter flew over the area. Officials have locked doors within a mile of the interstate and urged residents and business owners to lock their doors and stay inside. Interstate has been reopened.
There have been growing threats against FBI agents and offices across the country in recent days since federal agents executed a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago. On Gab, a social media site popular with white supremacists and dissidents, users warned that they were preparing for an armed revolution.
Federal officials have also monitored a series of other related conversations on Gab and other platforms threatening violence against federal agents. FBI Director Christopher Wray denounced the threats when he visited another FBI office in Nebraska on Wednesday.
“Violence against law enforcement is not the answer, no matter who you’re upset with,” Wray said Wednesday in Omaha.
The FBI on Wednesday also warned its agents to avoid protesters and ensure that their security keycards are “not visible outside of FBI space,” citing an increase in threats. on social media for employees and office premises. It also warns agents to be aware of their surroundings and potential protesters.
The warning did not specifically mention the search of Mar-a-Lago this week but attributed the online threats to “recent media reporting on FBI investigative activity.”
