Man who rammed FBI gate wanted to ‘make a statement,’ bureau says

The man accused of ramming his car into an FBI security gate early Wednesday wanted to “make a statement,” the bureau said in its arrest affidavit.

Donald Henson, 46, allegedly drove his car into the gate next to a manned security booth outside the FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office at 2:40 a.m. EDT Wednesday. He got out of the car, placed an American flag over the damaged part of the gate, and fled on foot, prosecutors said.

Henson was apprehended several hours later by law enforcement.

The suspect admitted to the FBI “he rammed the Sidney Street Gate to ‘make a statement,’” according to the affidavit.

In speaking to the FBI, Henson used the phrase, “sic semper tyrannis,” which is Latin for “thus always to tyrants.”

“It is famously associated with the assassination of Abraham Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth, who is said to have shouted the phrase after shooting the president,” according to the affidavit. The phrase also is the official state motto of Virginia.

Henson faces charges of assault with a deadly weapon and damaging government property. No FBI personnel were injured in the attack, the bureau said.

“This incident is considered a targeted attack against the FBI,” the agency said in a statement posted online.

No details about a possible motive were immediately made available.

Christopher Giordano, assistant special agent in charge at the FBI in Pittsburgh, told reporters that the car had writing on one of the windows, but did not elaborate. He added that the bureau was familiar with Henson, The Associated Press reported on Wednesday.

“He did come here to the FBI field office a few weeks ago to make a complaint that didn’t make a whole lot of sense,” Giordano said.