Police fatally shoot man near Capitol; Sotomayor hearing unaffected

As the Senate Judiciary Committee was wrapping up the third day of Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearing, Capitol police say they fatally shot a man who brandished a weapon after fleeing from a routine traffic stop.
 
There was no indication that the shooting had anything to do with the Sotomayor proceedings. In fact, it appeared that no one inside the Senate hearing room knew what was taking place just a few blocks away from the office building.

Chairman Patrick Leahy earlier had announced that he would recess the hearing after Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin finished his questioning -- and the chairman made good on that promise, banging the gavel just before 6 p.m. EDT.
 
Minutes later, police gave the first details of the fatal shooting. Read the AP's full story as it develops here.
 
-Liz Sidoti, AP reporter, politics