- A 25-year-old man was arrested outside the White House after he threatened to assassinate President Donald Trump.
- Roger Hedgpeth told a Secret Service officer he was there to kill Trump with a knife that police found on his person.
- Hedgpeth was taken into custody and brought to a hospital for a mental health evaluation.
- White House security has been ramped up in recent years after several individuals successfully jumped over the iron fence surrounding the grounds, with one man making it all the way into the presidential residence in 2014.
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A man carrying a knife was arrested outside the White House after he told a US Secret Service officer that he was there to kill the president, police said.
Roger Hedgpeth, 25, was arrested Saturday afternoon on a charge of making threats to do bodily harm, the Metropolitan Police Department said.
Hedgpeth approached a Secret Service officer who was patrolling outside the White House and said he was there to “assassinate” President Donald Trump and “I have a knife to do it with,” according to a police report obtained by The Associated Press.
Police found a 3 1/2-inch knife in a sheath on his left hip, and Hedgpeth also had an empty pistol holster on his right hip, authorities said.
Hedgpeth was taken into custody and brought to a hospital for a mental health evaluation, police said. Officers also impounded his vehicle.
A telephone number listed for Hedgpeth in public records rang unanswered on Sunday. It wasn’t immediately clear where he lives or whether he had a lawyer who could comment on his behalf.
It’s not uncommon for Secret Service officers to confront intruders on or near White House grounds, as some individuals have attempted to reach the Executive Mansion by claiming they had an appointment with Trump, were communicating with the president via telepathy, and even attempting to set themselves on fire.
White House security has been ramped up in recent years after several individuals successfully jumped over the iron fence surrounding the grounds, with one man making it all the way into the presidential residence in a 2014 incident that triggered the installation of higher fencing and additional barriers in high-traffic areas for tourists.
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