By Jan Wolfe and Lawrence Hurley
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Capitol Police said they were investigating a suspicious vehicle in front of the U.S. Supreme Court where the nine justices were hearing oral arguments on Tuesday.
“We are investigating a suspicious vehicle in front of the Supreme Court along First Street, NE,” the department said in a Twitter statement. “Please stay away from the area. We will provide more information as soon as we can.”
The nine justices began their new term on Monday with their first oral arguments in person in 19 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Law enforcement authorities have been on high alert in the U.S. capital since a deadly Jan. 6 riot by supporters of then-President Donald Trump.
In August, a man who claimed to have a bomb in a pickup truck near the U.S. Capitol surrendered to police after a standoff that paralyzed a swath of Washington for more than five hours.
(Reporting by Jan Wolfe; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Howard Goller)
