2 arrested near White House in separate vehicle crash, barricade incidents
2 arrested near White House following car crash, barricade jump
Two people were taken into custody Monday morning near the White House following separate security incidents near Lafayette Park. Secret Service and National Guard personnel responded after a vehicle crashed onto the sidewalk at 16th and H Streets NW—where a combative driver was detained—while officers quickly arrested a second person who jumped a nearby security barricade.
WASHINGTON - Two people were arrested outside the White House on Monday morning following back-to-back security incidents that prompted a lockdown and sent tourists scrambling near Lafayette Park.
2 arrested near White House in separate vehicle crash, barricade incidents (Video Credit: Iris Mitchell)
What we know:
The first incident occurred just before 10 a.m. on the north side of Lafayette Park near 16th Street and H Street NW, where a vehicle crashed onto the sidewalk. Witnesses reported hearing a popping sound before smoke began pouring from the car. According to witnesses and authorities, the driver fought with law enforcement as officers pulled him from the vehicle. Secret Service Police and National Guard personnel quickly took him into custody.
The D.C. police bomb squad responded to search the vehicle as a precaution and determined the car was safe.
Minutes later, a second individual leaped over a security barricade near the northwest corner of Lafayette Park. Eyewitness Iris Mitchell described seeing the man take off from a group of pedestrians.
"We are walking with a group of about 20 people and then all of a sudden a guy with us, takes off running and scales the fence," Mitchell said. "And jumps over the fence into where I guess like the White House Lafayette Square area he just takes off running and everyone just start saying to freeze and they got their hands up!"
Officers quickly apprehended that individual as well.
The pair of incidents led to a lockdown at the White House. Police and National Guard troops ordered pedestrians and visitors to clear the area, shutting down surrounding streets as emergency crews responded.
What we don't know:
Authorities have not released the names of the two suspects or detailed the specific charges they face. The Secret Service has also not confirmed whether there was any coordination or connection between the vehicle crash and the fence-jumping incident.
The backstory:
The security scares come just one week after another high-profile arrest near the White House perimeter. Law enforcement officers took a man into custody on Constitution Avenue after authorities discovered weapons inside his car and investigated threats made against the president.
The Source: This article was written using information from Secret Service Police and FOX 5 DC reporting.