Facebook removes account of Capitol-area bomb threat suspect

Facebook blocked the account of a man suspected of making a bomb threat near the Capitol on Thursday, after he apparently livestreamed on the platform from his vehicle at the scene.

A Facebook spokesperson said that the company removed the video from the platform after it was found to violate Facebook’s dangerous organization policies.

“We are in contact with law enforcement and have removed the suspect’s videos and profile from Facebook and Instagram,” the spokesperson said in a statement. 

“Our teams are working to identify, remove, and block any other instances of the suspect’s videos which do not condemn, neutrally discuss the incident or provide neutral news coverage of the issue.” 

Video shared on social media showed the suspect talking about a “revolution” while holding a metal canister and demanding to speak with President Biden, according to multiple reports.

While the content was removed from Facebook, video clips remain on other social media platforms and sites.

Police on Thursday afternoon said they had apprehended the man, who they identified as Floyd Ray Roseberry, 49.

Facebook said content that praises or supports the suspect, and any additional accounts that belong to the suspect or accounts created by others in his name, will also be removed if they are found on Facebook’s platforms.

Shares of the video that don’t condemn or provide news coverage of the incident will also be removed, according to Facebook. 

Capitol Police evacuated the Library of Congress’s buildings and the Cannon House Office during the investigation Thursday morning and early afternoon.