Police in Washington DC have responded to reports of gunfire close to Capitol Hill and of a vehicle being driven into a police officer.

According to officers, a woman driving on Independence Avenue SW ran into a Capitol Police car and then tried to run over officers. The situation was quickly contained and officials said there was no evidence the incident was related to terrorism.

Police received a call reporting shots fired on Capitol Hill around 9.30am. It later transpired, that the shots may have been warning shots fired by officers after a woman failed to stop when requested.

The individual has been taken into custody. No one was hit by the suspect's car, police said.

ABC News said Capitol Hill police responded to the area at Washington Ave and Independence Ave, which is located near the US Botanic Garden and the Rayburn House office building.

Eva Malecki, a spokeswoman for Capitol Police, said there was no evidence to suggest a "nexus of terrorism". She said that investigations were continuing.

"It was a traffic stop," she said.

The Capitol in Washington is home to the US Congress AP) (AP)

The FBI rushed to the scene to try and support the efforts of police officers.

Capitol Hill was briefly placed on a lock down during the incident, but was later reopened for business.

Earlier, a witness said a car was stopped at a checkpoint and police ordered a woman driving a vehicle to stop.