An armed man tried to force his way into an FBI office in Cincinnati, then 'traded shots' with cops, law-enforcement officials said

A crest of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is seen 03 August 2007 inside the J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building in Washington, DC.
FBI seal.Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
  • An armed man wearing body armor tried to breach the Cincinnati FBI office, authorities said.

  • He fled when alarms sounded and special agents responded, the agency wrote in a statement.

  • The gunman traded shots with officers during a chase before being contained, officials said.

An armed man tried to get past security and breach an FBI office in Cincinnati around 9:15 a.m. on Thursday, the agency tweeted.

After alarms sounded and FBI special agents responded, the gunman then fled onto I-71, where he drove northbound in a white Ford Crown Victoria, the Ohio State Patrol said at a press conference on Thursday.

The police located the vehicle at a rest stop on I-71 in Warren County at 9:37 a.m., where they tried to initiate a traffic stop. The gunman then fled and exited the interstate to state Route 73, Ohio State Patrol said. 

The gunman — who was wearing body armor — "traded shots" with law enforcement during the car chase, officials said. No police officers were injured in the pursuit. State Patrol could not comment on whether the gunman had sustained any injuries.

Gunfire was again exchanged when the vehicle came to a stop on Smith Road at approximately 9:53 a.m. after traveling east on state Route 73, State Patrol said.

As of 12:40 p.m., the gunman was contained but hadn't yet been taken into custody, Clinton County, Ohio, emergency officials said.

The scene remained active during the standoff situation between the gunman and the police. Then the scene was contained to a "certain area" where authorities had drawn a perimeter, Ohio State Patrol said.

A lockdown remained in effect in a one-mile radius around Smith Road and Center Road in the city.

"Residents and businesses in this area should lock their doors and remain vigilant," Clinton County's Emergency Management Agency said.

By 12:30 p.m., the FBI office was declared safe, tweeted Kendall Hyde, a FOX19 reporter. Investigators moved inside while some officers drove around the area.

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.

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