WASHINGTON (WXIN/WAVY) — The man who hit Capitol Police officers as he crashed into a barricade and ran at officers with a knife Friday has been identified by law enforcement as 25-year-old Noah Green.
The attack left a veteran U.S. Capitol Police officer dead and another hospitalized. Authorities shot Green, who died after being taken to an area hospital.
Investigators were digging into his background and examining whether he had any mental health history as they tried to discern a motive. They were working to obtain warrants to access his online accounts.
Capitol Police Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman said the suspect did not appear to have been on the police’s radar. But the attack underscored that the building and campus — and the officers charged with protecting them — remain potential targets for violence.
Green described himself as a follower of the Nation of Islam and its founder, Louis Farrakhan, and spoke of going through a difficult time where he leaned on his faith, according to recent messages posted online that have since been taken down. The messages were captured by the group SITE, which tracks online activity.
“To be honest these past few years have been tough, and these past few months have been tougher,” he wrote. “I have been tried with some of the biggest, unimaginable tests in my life. I am currently now unemployed after I left my job partly due to afflictions, but ultimately, in search of a spiritual journey.”
Nexstar’s WXIN learned that he filed a name change petition in Marion County Court in Indiana back in December. Records show he wanted to change his name from Noah Ricardo Green to Noah Zaeem Muhammad.
The hearing from that petition was scheduled for this Tuesday, but Green did not show up for that hearing. Because he missed the hearing and didn’t file for an extension, the court dismissed the matter and closed the case. The address listed on the court documents is an Indianapolis address. Other records show Green also had ties to Virginia.
Green grew up, went to school in Virginia
Officials with Virginia’s Christopher Newport University confirmed to WAVY Friday that Green played football for the school and graduated with a finance degree in 2019.
Jim Hanchett, CNU chief communications officer, said Green played on the team in 2017 and 2018. His 2018 bio says that Green’s hometown is Covington, Virginia, where WAVY reports that he attended Alleghany High School.
Residents at a Virginia Beach apartment complex told WAVY that Green moved out at the beginning of 2021. One woman said that he kept to himself, but added that most people do at that complex.
President Joe Biden said in a statement that he and his wife were heartbroken to learn of the attack and expressed condolences to Evans’ family. He directed flags at the White House to be lowered to half staff.
Gov. Ralph Northam ordered that all U.S. and Virginia flags at local, state and federal grounds in Virginia be flown at half-staff through April 6.
Sending strength and prayers to the men and women of the Capitol Police, the officer injured in this attack, and the loved ones of the officer who was tragically killed. Virginia is grateful for all you do, and we will always stand with you.
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam
Veteran officer killed in attack
The crash and shooting happened at a security checkpoint near the Capitol typically used by senators and staff on weekdays, though most are away from the building during the current recess. The attack occurred about 100 yards (91 meters) from the entrance of the building on the Senate side of the Capitol.
Video shows the driver of the crashed car emerging with a knife in his hand and starting to run at the pair of officers, Pittman told reporters. Authorities shot the suspect.
The U.S. Capitol Police officer who died Friday was identified as an 18-year veteran of the force.
William “Billy” Evans joined the department in 2003 and was a member of its first responders unit. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi hailed Evans as a “martyr for our democracy,” while Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he was “heartbroken.”
The death is the latest moment of sorrow for a department after the loss of Brian Sicknick, who clashed with rioters during the Jan. 6 insurrection and died a day later, and Howard Liebengood, who committed suicide weeks after that.
“Our thoughts and prayer are with the Officer who passed and his family,” Larry Cosme, national president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers’ Association, said in a statement. “He gave his life in dedication to protecting our nation’s democracy and should be treated as a national hero. Our prayers also remain with the second officer battling injuries sustained in the attack. We hope for a swift recovery and commend both officers for their courageous actions.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.