Armed man attempting to breach FBI office killed after standoff

Washington, Aug 12

An armed man who tried to breach a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) field office in the US city of Cincinnati was shot dead by law enforcement after a standoff.

The person attempted to breach the visitor screening facility at the office at around 9.15 a.m. on Thursday, according to a statement from the federal law enforcement agency.

The manfled and was encountered by law enforcement officers near Wilmington, where they exchanged gunfire in which he "was shot and is deceased" in the afternoon, Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying.

The FBI said it is "reviewing this agent-involved shooting".

The Ohio State Highway Patrol tweeted troopers and their law enforcement partners "attempted to negotiate with the suspect to bring the standoff to a peaceful end" throughout the afternoon.

"Once negotiations failed, officers attempted to take the suspect into custody by utilizing less lethal tactics," the police said.

"The suspect raised a firearm and shots were fired by law enforcement officers. The suspect succumbed to fatal injuries on scene."

Federal investigators are reportedly examining whether the male may have had ties to far-right extremist groups.

It motive remains unclear.

The incident came days after FBI agents raided former US President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida.

Monday's operation was said to have been related to classified materials that Trump allegedly took with him from the White House to Mar-a-Lago, when he left office in January 2021.

Trump and his allies denounced the raid as a political attack orchestrated by Democrats while calling out the FBI and the Department of Justice.

In response to Thursday's incident, FBI Director Christopher Wray issued a statement, saying that the "attacks on the integrity of the FBI erode respect for the rule of law".

"Violence and threats against law enforcement, including the FBI, are dangerous and should be deeply concerning to all Americans," Wray added.