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Police: Man swings ax at DC officer in attack

WASHINGTON (AP) — A man swung a large ax at a District of Columbia police officer in an unprovoked attack early Friday, and the officer suffered a minor injury while struggling with the man, who escaped on foot, police said.

The officer was sitting in a marked police car about 3 a.m. Friday in northeast Washington when the man swung the ax and shattered the driver’s side window, said Officer Araz Alali, a police spokesman.

The officer got out of the car and struggled with the attacker, who fled and left the ax behind.

Police aren’t ruling out any potential motives, Alali said, adding that there was no apparent connection to last week’s attack of a group of New York City police officers by a hatchet-wielding man. New York’s police commissioner described that attack as an act of terrorism.

“At this point I don’t see a connection, but whenever you have a crime that is similar, obviously we’re going to cover all our bases and examine this thoroughly,” Alali said.

An FBI spokesman said the bureau was aware of the attack and offered assistance if needed.

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