White House under brief lockdown after car crashes in secure area, Trump was inside complex
Security personnel temporarily restricted movement around the presidential complex, and roads near Lafayette Park were closed as officials responded.
PTC News Desk: The White House was briefly placed under lockdown on Monday following two separate security incidents near the presidential complex in Washington, DC. In one incident, a car crashed onto the sidewalk surrounding Lafayette Park, while in another, a person jumped over a barricade. The US Secret Service arrested two people in connection with the incidents.
President Donald Trump was inside the White House when the incidents took place. Security personnel temporarily restricted movement around the presidential complex, and roads near Lafayette Park were closed as officials responded.
In the first incident, a silver sedan drove onto the paved area at the northern end of Lafayette Square and hit a signpost. According to a video recorded by a journalist from The Washington Sun, the driver got out of the smoking vehicle and began fighting with security personnel. The driver was later arrested following a confrontation with officers.
The driver's identity, the circumstances surrounding the crash and the possible motive were not immediately known.
Around the same time, another person jumped over a barricade near the northwest corner of Lafayette Park. The Secret Service confirmed that this individual was also arrested.
The lockdown was lifted after the security operation ended and both arrests were made. Officials subsequently cleared the area. The Secret Service said both incidents were under investigation. Further details, including whether anyone was injured and whether the car crash was deliberate, were awaited.
Lafayette Square is located across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House and is a prominent public space near the presidential complex. The incidents triggered a security response, leading to temporary restrictions in the surrounding area.