Police shot and killed intruder who tried to break into FBI office in Ohio

An armed man who tried to break into the offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Ohio on Thursday was killed in a confrontation with police.

The incident drew national attention because it came just days after the FBI raided former President Donald Trump’s Florida home, infuriating Republican supporters. There is no direct indication, however, that the events have anything to do with each other.

The FBI said Thursday morning that an armed man attempted to “break into” the entrance to the bureau’s Cincinnati, Ohio, office.

“After the alarm went off and armed FBI agents responded, the subject fled,” the statement said.

According to local media reports, the man waved a multi-shot AR-15 type rifle before fleeing in a vehicle.

A police spokesman said law enforcement pursued the intruder’s vehicle and that the man stopped in a rural area.

“After the vehicle stopped, there was an exchange of gunfire between officers and the suspect,” police said.

Officers then tried to negotiate with the suspect, but he did not surrender, a police spokesman told a news conference.

After the suspect raised his weapon again toward the officers, they shot him, and “he died of his injuries at the scene.”

FBI Director Christopher Wray on Wednesday condemned threats against the bureau over the federal raid on Donald Trump’s residence. Ray called such threats “deplorable and dangerous.”

“Violence against law enforcement is not the answer, regardless of who you offend,” Ray said.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said Thursday that he had “personally authorized” the search of Trump’s Florida residence, adding that he was awaiting a court order for a warrant before discussing the circumstances of the raid.

The search stems from possible mishandling of classified documents sent to Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House in January 2021.