A man was swiftly detained by United States Secret Service agents on Thursday after attempting to jump a security barrier at the White House, triggering a physical confrontation that left one officer injured.
Shortly after 11:30 a.m., the man jumped over a construction bollard near the Treasury Building on the northeast side of the White House complex. Uniformed Secret Service officers intercepted him near a pedestrian gate, where he engaged in a physical altercation before being taken into custody, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi confirmed.
One Secret Service officer sustained a non-life-threatening laceration during the struggle. Both the officer and the suspect received medical evaluations at a local hospital.
President Donald Trump was understood to be inside the White House at the time of the incident. The attempted breach occurred just minutes before Trump was scheduled to depart for Las Vegas to participate in a roundtable discussion on Tax Day.
The identity and motive of the suspect have not been publicly disclosed. The White House confirmed the incident and referred further questions to the Secret Service. The Metropolitan Police Department subsequently cleared the immediate area, though a heavy security presence remained around the entrance gate.
The Secret Service is cooperating with District of Columbia police and the U.S. Park Police. The White House continued normal operations following the incident.
Thursday’s breach follows a separate security scare on April 5, when the Secret Service investigated reports of gunfire near Lafayette Park, across from the White House. No injuries were reported and no suspect was found following a search of the park and surrounding area.
