Man who made bomb threat outside Library of Congress while live-streaming surrenders
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WASHINGTON (NewsNation Now) — A tense, hours-long standoff with a man claiming to have a bomb in a pickup truck outside the Library of Congress ended in his surrender Thursday afternoon.
Law enforcement officials said the man, identified as 49-year-old Floyd Ray Roseberry of North Carolina, surrendered peacefully around 2:30 p.m. ET.
U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger stated Roseberry had a “minor” criminal history but nothing severe. Investigators had been speaking with members of Roseberry’s family and learned that his mother had recently died.
“There were other issues he was dealing with,” the chief said, without providing specific details.
A specific motive in this case was not announced.
Police did not immediately know if there were explosives in the vehicle, but authorities were searching the truck in an effort to understand what led Roseberry, to drive onto the sidewalk outside the Library of Congress, make bomb threats to officers and profess a litany of antigovernment grievances as part of a bizarre episode that he live-streamed for a Facebook audience.
Roseberry’s threats prompted a massive law enforcement response Thursday morning to determine whether his truck contained an operable explosive device, including snipers.
Thursday’s incident began around 9:15 a.m. when a truck drove up the sidewalk outside the library. The driver told the responding officer he had a bomb, and he was holding what the officer believed to be a detonator. The truck had no license plates.
Multiple congressional buildings and the Supreme Court were evacuated around 9:30 a.m. ET. Other congressional staff members were told to shelter in place.
Investigators during the response were trying to determine whether Roseberry was holding a detonator. They communicated first using a dry erase board and then bringing him a telephone that he refused to use
Video surfaced of Roseberry on Facebook Live inside the truck, which was stuffed with coins and boxes. He threatened explosions, expressed hostility toward President Joe Biden, profanely warned of a “revolution” and laid bare a series of grievances related to U.S. positions on Afghanistan, health care and the military.
Facebook confirmed that the suspect was livestreaming and that the company removed the video along with deactivating his profile for the time being.
Roseberry’s ex-wife, Crystal Roseberry, said she had seen images of the man in the standoff at the Capitol and confirmed to The Associated Press that it was her ex-husband. She said had never known him to have explosives, but he was an avid collector of firearms.
Videos posted to Facebook before the page was taken down appear to show Roseberry at the Nov. 14 Washington rally attended by thousands of Trump supporters to protest what they claimed was a stolen election. One video appears to be filmed by Roseberry as he’s marching with a crowd of hundreds of people carrying American flags and Trump flags and shouting “stop the steal.”
The area was blocked off by police cars and barricades. Also responding were the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Kelsey Campbell, a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison visiting Washington as part of a class trip, said she and another student encountered Roseberry around 9:20 a.m. outside the nearby Supreme Court building. Campbell said he was with his truck, which was parked next to the sidewalk, and was holding a large stack of dollar bills.
“He said, ‘Hey, call the police, tell them to evacuate this street, and I’ll give you all this money,’” Campbell recounted to The AP. “I said, ’No!’ and he threw the money at us and we started running.”
Campbell said she and the other student saw some police officers standing nearby. They told the officers what happened, and the officers then went to confront Roseberry.
The White House said it was monitoring the situation and was being briefed by law enforcement.
The House of Representatives and Senate are not currently in session.
Police in the area have been on higher alert since the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection and an individual killed a Capitol police officer by ramming him with a car at a security checkpoint.
WASHINGTON, DC – AUGUST 19: People evacuate the surrounding area after first responders arrived on the scene to investigate a report of an explosive device in a pickup truck near the Library of Congress on Capitol Hill, August 19, 2021 in Washington, DC. The area around the building has been evacuated (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) 
A police vehicle moves into an area near the U.S. Capitol and a Library of Congress building in Washington on Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021, as law enforcement officials investigate a report of a pickup truck containing an explosive device. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) 
A pickup truck is parked on the sidewalk in front of the Library of Congress’ Thomas Jefferson Building, as seen from a window of the U.S. Capitol, Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021, in Washington. A man sitting in the pickup truck outside the Library of Congress has told police that he has a bomb, and that’s led to a massive law enforcement response to determine whether it’s an operable explosive device. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) 
WASHINGTON, DC – AUGUST 19: US Capitol Police respond to a report of an explosive device in a pickup truck near the Library of Congress on Capitol Hill on August 19, 2021 in Washington, DC. The area around the building has been evacuated (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) 
First responders and police investigate a possible bomb threat near the US Capitol and Library of Congress in Washington, DC, on August 19, 2021. – Police said Thursday a suspicious vehicle was being investigated for possible explosives and that people were told to leave the area. “The USCP is responding to a suspicious vehicle near the Library of Congress,” the US Capitol Police said on its Twitter feed. “This is an active bomb threat investigation.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation says it has also joined the probe. (Photo by Eric BARADAT / AFP) (Photo by ERIC BARADAT/AFP via Getty Images) WASHINGTON, DC – AUGUST 19: A police sniper team remains in position near the Library of Congress on Capitol Hill August 19, 2021 in Washington, DC. A man drove a pickup truck onto the sidewalk outside the Library this morning telling police officers that he had a bomb. Authorities have evacuated the surrounding areas and going through negotiation with the suspect. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates
