Man shot by police at US Capitol complex

WASHINGTON - A man walked into the underground US Capitol Visitor Center on Monday and was shot and wounded by police after he pointed what appeared to be a weapon at officers, police said.

The suspect and a female bystander, who suffered wounds, were taken to the hospital, Capitol Police Chief Matthew Verderosa said at a news conference.

No police officers were injured, Verderosa said. He said it was unclear how many officers fired shots. A weapon was recovered on the scene and the suspect's vehicle was found on Capitol grounds, he said. "During routine administrative screening, the individual drew what appeared to be a weapon and pointed it at officers,"the police chief said.

Verderosa said the man was known to Capitol Police. "Based on initial investigation, we believe this is an act of a single person who has frequented the Capitol grounds before. There is no reason to believe this is anything more than a criminal act," Verderosa said.

Law enforcement officials have not conclusively verified the suspect's identity but believe he is Larry Dawson, 66, from Tennessee, the Washington Post reported.

Police arrested Dawson in October after they said he interrupted a House of Representatives session, shouting he was a "Prophet of God," the Post reported. A judge ordered him to stay away from the Capitol grounds, the newspaper said.

Police did not identify the suspect, who they said acted alone.

The suspect was undergoing surgery, but his condition was unknown, and no charges have been filed "at this point", Verderosa said.

A US government official said no evidence had materialised of a connection to terrorism.

On a day when the Senate and House of Representatives were not working and few lawmakers were in Washington, the Capitol building was briefly locked down, but then reopened for official business. The Capitol Visitor Center is used chiefly by tourists.

The US Secret Service temporarily cleared tourists from an area around the White House.

At about the same time as the Capitol shooting, a woman was arrested at the White House Easter egg roll because she tried to move a temporary security barrier, the Secret Service said. There was no relation between the Capitol incident and the White House arrest, a Secret Service official said.

The District of Columbia Police Department, a separate force from the US Capitol police, called the shooting an isolated incident and said there was no threat to the public.

More than 2 million people a year go through the Capitol Visitor Center, Verderosa said. He said it would be open for business as usual on Tuesday.