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The US Secret Service on Monday (local time) ordered a lockdown at the White House after a car jumped a curb and crashed into an informational sign near Lafayette Park in Washington, DC, while President Donald Trump was inside the executive mansion preparing for meetings, according to the New York Post.
The incident prompted Secret Service personnel to move journalists indoors as officers ordered the driver to the ground and subsequently took the individual away in handcuffs. According to the New York Post, the passenger car drove onto the sidewalk just north of Lafayette Park, facing the White House, but did not reach the executive mansion's gates, which are located more than a block away. The identity of the driver and the circumstances leading to the incident were not immediately known. There were also no immediate reports of injuries. The suspect was escorted away by uniformed Secret Service personnel while shouting, "Oh my God!" as officers walked the individual along Pennsylvania Avenue. The Secret Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment, the New York Post reported. Lafayette Park, which is situated opposite the White House, is a popular destination for tourists and pedestrians who frequently gather there to photograph the presidential residence. However, the area currently has tall anti-riot fencing following renovation work undertaken during Trump's presidency. The incident comes amid heightened security measures around the White House following several security-related incidents in Washington in recent months. In July, The Washington Post reported that the Trump administration was considering installing permanent fencing around Lafayette Square and sections of Pennsylvania Avenue to strengthen security around the presidential complex. The proposal, developed by the Secret Service, the White House and the Interior Department, was aimed at allowing authorities to close public areas more quickly in response to potential security threats. Earlier on May 23, gunfire near the White House resulted in two people being wounded, including a suspect, prompting Secret Service personnel to temporarily move journalists indoors. The lockdown was subsequently lifted, CBS News reported. In another incident on May 4, the White House was briefly placed under lockdown after a Secret Service officer exchanged gunfire with an armed individual near the Washington Monument. The incident occurred shortly after Vice President JD Vance's motorcade passed through the area, The Washington Post reported. The New York Post, though, noted that lockdowns at the executive grounds do not necessarily indicate a broader security threat. (ANI)
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