[orthodoc]

My understanding from multiple news sources is: she apparently either rammed or pulled right up to a barricade at the White House; when approached by Secret Service officers, she reversed and made a turn that hit an officer. He had to be airlifted to a hospital. She then headed at high speed toward the Capitol. At one point she was surrounded and stopped, but again reversed, hitting a patrol car, and drove at officers before heading further toward the Capitol at high speed. No shots were fired until after she had escaped the stop and continued heading for the Capitol at speed. Seven shots were fired then. I believe more shots were fired once she crashed near the Capitol. Officers didn't know there was a child in the car until it was all over.

Apparently she was a 34 year old dental hygienist with a history of post-partum depression within the past year, for which she'd been hospitalized. There's no way to know yet whether her depression played a role in the tragedy, but PP depression has psychotic features more often than other types.

This is just horrible. But I think the officers did their best to resolve the crisis without shooting, until she rammed a cruiser and continued at speed toward the Capitol. They had no information on who was in the car or what the intent was; they could only assume a worst-case scenario.