Suspect in Washington, D.C., bomb threat surrenders, is in police custody
The bomb threat forced evacuations and street closures around the Cannon office building.
WASHINGTON — After an hourslong standoff near the U.S. Capitol, a man who told law enforcement he had an explosive device in his truck surrendered, Capitol Police officials announced Thursday.
“He is in custody and that part is done," U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger told reporters shortly after the suspect got out of his truck and crawled on the ground to be taken into custody. "He gave up and did not resist. Our folks were able to take him into custody without incident."
Manger identified the suspect as Floyd Ray Roseberry, whose last known address was in Grover, North Carolina. Roseberry, who is white, was posting videos from his truck on social media earlier Thursday.
The incident began around 9:15 a.m. ET on Thursday when Roseberry drove a black pickup truck onto the sidewalk in front of the Library of Congress. Two law enforcement officials told NBC News he was communicating with law enforcement on the scene by writing on a dry erase board that he had in the vehicle.
In several Facebook livestream videos on an account identified as “Ray Roseberry,” he spoke about healthcare and complained about undocumented immigrants. He repeatedly claimed he was starting a revolution.
The videos show him driving through Alexandria, Va. and then parts of Washington, D.C., including near the Washington Monument. The videos then show him parked on the sidewalk in front of the Library of Congress, where the standoff was taking place.
Roseberry, in videos that are largely addressed directly to President Joe Biden, made several demands, including wanting American airstrikes in Afghanistan and the resignation of Biden, saying he would end his standoff if the president left office.
Roseberry repeatedly complained about how health insurance didn’t cover his or his wife’s illness, quickly followed by complaints about immigrants. He claimed his wife had cancer and her insurance wouldn’t cover her surgery, and that he’s still paying for the procedure. In the next sentence, he falsely complained that immigrants received health care.
In the videos, he repeatedly said he had an explosive device and shouts at pedestrians to move away from his truck.
Several law enforcement officials said they had not seen anything that resembles an explosive device in the truck. Two law enforcement officials said he also claimed to be holding the detonator, but they had not been able to confirm that either.
Manger said investigators had seen a propane tank in the back of the truck, which was "concerning."
The Library of Congress sits just across the street from the Supreme Court and one block from the U.S. Capitol. The House and Senate are currently in a scheduled recess period, so the majority of members and staff are not in the office buildings.
The Cannon office building was evacuated and individuals were sent to the Longworth office building. The nearest metro station, Capitol South, was also closed.
The White House is "monitoring the situation and is receiving updates from l
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