WASHINGTON, Aug 20, 2021 (BSS/AFP) - A man who threatened to set off a bomb

on Washington's Capitol Hill surrendered to police Thursday, ending an hours-
long standoff that rattled lawmakers still shaken by January's pro-Trump
insurrection.

  The incident triggered evacuations and a massive police response, and sent
jolts of anxiety through a city that has spent months on alert, as political
tensions soared following the deadly US Capitol riot.

  The suspect, an apparent right-wing extremist identified by authorities as
Floyd Ray Roseberry of North Carolina, was broadcasting live on social media
from his truck, assailing President Joe Biden and Democrats, warning of a
"revolution," and complaining about the US government and its policy in
Afghanistan.

  He had also claimed that four more sets of explosives were lying in wait in
Washington and that they would be detonated, along with his bomb, if police
used deadly force against him.

  Much of the complex was cordoned off as officers and FBI agents negotiated
with the driver, who police said had appeared to have a detonator in his
hand.

  Suddenly, after four hours of drama, it was over.

  "He got out of the vehicle and surrendered, and the tactical units that
were close by took him into custody without incident," US Capitol Police
Chief Thomas Manger told reporters.

  A subsequent search by law enforcement found no bomb in the vehicle parked
on the sidewalk next to the Library of Congress, "but possible bomb making
materials were collected from the truck," the USCP said in a statement.

  Manger said it was unclear what Roseberry's motives were, but in his
Facebook Live steam he issued a series of incoherent threats and asked to
speak to the president.

  "I'm trying to get Joe Biden on the phone. I'm parked up here on the
sidewalk right beside all this pretty stuff," said the bald-headed man with a
salt-and-pepper goatee, wearing a white T-shirt.

  "I'm not hurting nobody Joe. I'm not pulling the trigger on this thing. I
can't," he said. "I'm telling you, them snipers come in, they start shooting
this window out, this bomb's going off."

  - 'The revolution' -

  The live feed showed Roseberry in his vehicle holding a metal cylinder
topped with clay attached to a box with buttons and wires, but it was
ultimately determined not to be a viable explosive device.

  While he did not claim a political affiliation, he referred at one point to
"the revolution" and said: "I'm looking for all my other patriots to come out
and help me."

  Later he lashed out at Biden's party, saying: "You all know what you're
doing, Democrats? You're killing America."

  A White House official said Biden was briefed on the standoff.

  As authorities revealed the threat, the Library of Congress's main
buildings were evacuated, as was the nearby US Supreme Court and at least one
of the three House office buildings.

  Streets and buildings were re-opened and public transportation resumed
after police gave the all clear.

  - 'Threat to every community' -

  Both the Senate and House of Representatives are currently on recess, but
some lawmakers have remained in Washington and staffers are working in the
complex.

  House Democrat Bill Pascrell offered fierce condemnation of the suspect
during the standoff, in comments that echoed the trauma of the insurrection
that rocked the Capitol in January.

  "A right-wing extremist is now threatening to detonate a bomb at the US
Capitol," he tweeted. "Right wing domestic terrorism is a threat to every
community in the United States."

  Tensions remain high more than seven months after the January 6 riot, when
supporters of then-president Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol, fought with
police and sought to block certification of the presidential election.

  In April, a man rammed a car into Capitol barriers, killing one officer
before the attacker was shot and killed.

  Messages of appreciation poured in Thursday from lawmakers to the police
officers assigned to keep the Capitol area secure.

  "They have been through so much this year, and still they stand in defense
of our democracy," Senator Martin Heinrich said.