- Police killed a man who tried to breach a Cincinnati FBI office on Thursday, officials said.
- The incident comes three days after the FBI executed a search warrant at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort.
Police fatally shot the armed man accused of trying to breach an FBI office in Cincinnati on Thursday morning, Lt. Nathan Dennis of the Ohio State Highway Patrol said in a press conference.
The suspect led authorities on a lengthy car chase after his efforts to enter the office failed, according to officials, before engaging officers in a tense standoff. The suspect, who was wearing body armor, "traded shots" with law enforcement during the car chase, authorities said.
Dennis told reporters that officers tried to negotiate with the suspect and made efforts to take him into custody with "less-than-lethal tactics," but fatally shot the man after he raised a gun.
Authorities declined to confirm the suspect's identity or offer speculation about his possible motive during the Thursday evening press conference, but several media outlets identified Ricky Shiffer, 42, as the suspect.
—Ken Dilanian (@KenDilanianNBC) August 11, 2022
NBC News reported that Shiffer was at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, while The New York Times reported that investigators were looking into whether he had ties to extremist groups involved in the insurrection. A social media account appearing to belong to Shiffer claimed to have been present at the Capitol during the siege, The Times reported. Shiffer was not arrested or charged with any crimes related to that day.
The Thursday incident came just three days after the FBI executed a search warrant at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence, prompting fierce backlash from Republicans and calls for Civil War from Trump devotees. Some Trump supporters also called for protests at FBI offices around the country, prompting Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday to publicly defend the Justice Department during a rare statement.
Authorities did not say if the Cincinnati episode was in any way related to the Mar-a-Lago incident, but NBC News reported that a Truth Social account bearing Ricky Shiffer's name posted mid-chase on Thursday morning, apparently detailing his failed attempt to enter the FBI office.
"Well, I thought I had a way through bullet proof glass, and I didn't. If you don't hear from me, it is true I tried attacking the F.B.I., and it'll mean either I was taken off the internet, the F.B.I. got me, or they sent the regular cops while," the account @RickyWShifferJr wrote at 9:29 a.m. ET, according to NBC News. The account has since been removed from the platform.
Insider has not independently verified the account.
The account also posted several times following the Mar-a-Lago FBI raid on Monday, encouraging all-out violence against the FBI, the outlet reported.
—Travis View (@travis_view) August 11, 2022