US Capitol Police officers salute as procession carries the body of William "Billy" Evans, an 18-year-veteran of USCP who was killed in a vehicle attack at the US Capitol on Friday afternoon.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The police officer killed outside the U.S. Capitol on Friday grew up in North Adams and was a 1998 graduate of Drury High School.
Capitol Police Officer William "Billy" Evans was one of two officers struck when a man rammed his car into them around 1 p.m. He then crashed the small sedan into a barrier on the north side of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., got out and lunged at officers with a knife and was shot and killed. Evans was taken to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The other officer's name and condition have not yet been released.
Congress was not in session and the building and grounds were locked down for about two hours.
A procession of police and emergency vehicles escorted the Evan's body from the hospital and President Biden ordered flags be lowered to half staff.
"Jill and I were heartbroken to learn of the violent attack at a security checkpoint on the U.S. Capitol grounds, which killed Officer William Evans of the U.S. Capitol Police, and left a fellow officer fighting for his life," the president said in a statement. "We send our heartfelt condolences to Officer Evans' family, and everyone grieving his loss. We know what a difficult time this has been for the Capitol, everyone who works there, and those who protect it."
Evans earned a degree in criminal justice from Western New England College in 2002. He had been a member of the Capitol Police for 18 years, beginning on March 7, 2003. He also had been a member Capitol Division's First Responder's Unit.
He was reportedly the sixth member of the Capitol Police force to die in the line of duty. The barriers and fences around the Capitol were in response to the insurrection on Jan. 6 that killed Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick and injured nearly 140 others. Two other officers took their own lives in the days following the riot.
"This has been an extremely difficult time for U.S. Capitol Police after the events of Jan. 6 and now the events that have occurred here today," The force's acting Chief Yogananda Pittman said. "So I ask you to keep the U.S. Capitol Police family in your thoughts and prayers."
The suspect was identified as Noah Green, 25, of Norfolk, Va., said to be a follower of the Nation of Islam.
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Companion Corner: Stink at No Paws Left Behind
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — There's a cat at No Paws Left Behind looking for his forever home.
iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home.
Don't let the name fool you! Stink is a 4-year-old domestic shorthair tabby who has been at the shelter for about a month.
Volunteer Claire Morin introduced us to him.
Stink came from his previous home after not getting along with some of the cats there.
"He came from a woman who had horses. He was an indoor cat, but he also spent some time in the barn, and I think he was not getting along with the other cats at the house."
Stink does like to roam around and check new stuff out. He can be a little shy at first but once he comes out he likes to play with toys and get a lot of pets. He can be quite territorial especially around male cats.
"He clearly likes treats. He likes to explore when he's out. He is a little bit territorial, so he has not come out that much. Actually, I'm surprised that he's out today, but, like I said, he prefers the company of female cats," she said. "He has been sort of interacting today with the male cats that he can now see ... he hasn't been acting out or hissing or anything towards them."
While it takes him a while to get out of his shell he is not shy to chat with you, most likely asking for more pets or to play.
"He does like people, he's very affectionate. He would not come out on his own for a long time. We could open the cage and he would interact with us, and he would be super sweet. You could interact with him, but he really preferred to stay in his cage. But now that he started to come out more, he's a lot more interactive," she said.
Stink would have to go home as the only cat or with a female cat because of his aversion to male cats.
"I think his perfect home would be someone who has children who are over the age of 8, because he can be a little bit territorial," Morin said. "The home can be cat friendly, there can be other cats, but preferably female, because he has been reactive towards male cats here at the shelter, and he can go home with dogs that have interacted with cats before."
Stink is a very sweet guy who can't wait to talk and snuggle up to you. Plus, you can pick a new name for him.
"I just think he's a super warm, friendly cat. He's clearly exploring the whole space today. He doesn't come out that often, but he's very gentle and very sweet," she said.
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