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The suspect had a backpack, but was not armed, spokesman says
The president and first lady were not in the White House at the time
A male suspect wearing a backpack scaled the White House fence Tuesday and “took off at a full sprint,” but was chased down and arrested, a spokesman for the U.S. Secret Service said.
The president and the first lady were not in the White House at the time, and a search of the suspect’s bag revealed that he was not armed, said Secret Service spokesman Max Millen.
The fence-jumper, who has not yet been identified, complied with officers’ commands to stop, was taken into custody and will be charged with unlawful entry, Millen said.
It is not uncommon for people to scale a fence at the White House, only to come to a similar fate. One recent fence-jumper’s short-lived jaunt was caught live on CNN, as John King was hosting his August 2 show on the North Lawn.