The White House press area was placed under temporary lockdown after a driver crashed a silver sedan into a security barrier at the north end of Lafayette Square Park and physically clashed with U.S. Secret Service agents and National Guard troops.
The incident occurred shortly before 10 a.m.on Monday, November 9, at Lafayette Park, directly opposite the White House, when a silver sedan mounted the pavement and crashed into a sign near the northern end of the park.
US Secret Service officers and National Guard personnel quickly responded to the scene and arrested two people following the incident, Fox News reported.
According to eyewitness reports, the driver exited the vehicle and became involved in a physical confrontation with Secret Service agents and National Guard personnel.
President Donald Trump was at home during the incidents. The White House was briefly placed on lockdown, with members of the press ordered indoors and roads around the park closed.
“The driver was combative with law enforcement, but was quickly placed under arrest,” a Secret Service spokesperson said in a statement. “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 circumstances surrounding the crash and the driver’s motives remain unclear. Authorities have not yet released the individual’s identity.