Two Arrested Near White House After Driver Crashes Onto Lafayette Park Sidewalk and Fights Officers
Two people were arrested near the White House on Monday morning in separate incidents, including a driver who crashed onto a sidewalk by Lafayette Park and then fought with officers, prompting a brief lockdown.
“Just before 10:00 a.m., Secret Service Police and National Guard responded to the north side of Lafayette Park at 16th Street and H Street, NW, where a vehicle crashed onto the sidewalk. The driver was combative with law enforcement, but was quickly placed under arrest,” a Secret Service spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News.
The Metropolitan Police Department’s explosive ordnance disposal team was called to sweep the vehicle as a precaution, and roads around the park were closed, Fox 5 DC reported.
A Second Arrest Nearby
“Around the same time, a second individual jumped a barricade near the northwest corner of Lafayette Park. That individual was also quickly placed under arrest,” the spokesperson told the Daily Caller, adding that both incidents are under investigation.
The sedan jumped a curb and struck an informational sign but did not get near the White House gates, which are more than a block away, the New York Post reported. It was not immediately clear what caused either incident or who the driver was, and the Secret Service was not immediately aware of any connection between them.
Video posted to X showed Secret Service agents and National Guard members surrounding a gold-colored car, the Daily Caller reported. Witnesses told the outlet the driver struggled with officers as he was pulled from the vehicle, though their accounts varied.
The driver could be heard shouting “oh my God!” as uniformed agents led him away in handcuffs down Pennsylvania Avenue, according to the New York Post.
Lockdown Lifted After 20 Minutes
Restrictions on the White House campus were lifted after about 20 minutes, and there were no immediate reports of injuries, the Post reported. The Secret Service briefly moved reporters into the briefing room before releasing them, Fox News reported.
Lafayette Park sits directly north of the White House across Pennsylvania Avenue and is a frequent site of protests and tourist crowds.
President Donald Trump was at the White House preparing for meetings on Monday, including a noon meeting with the prime minister of Qatar, a key mediator in the Iran war. UFC President Dana White was also expected at the White House.
The area around the crash is popular with tourists taking photos of the White House, and the square now has tall anti-riot fencing following recent renovations, the Post reported.
The arrests came four days after the Secret Service arrested an armed Venezuelan man near the White House who allegedly said voices told him to kill Trump, Fox News reported.
The Secret Service has not released the names of the two people arrested Monday or said what charges they may face.
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