While most of White House intruders don't try to harm the President or who may ever be in residence, there have been several reports that some are attempting to intrude the President's executive resident. Recently, an intruder sparked a White House evacuation and the House committee criticized the US Secret Service because of the security breach.
According to the US Secret Service, an intruder sparked an evacuation of the White House on Saturday when the suspect managed to get inside after jumping over the fence just minutes after US President Barack Obama had left.
Extensive security methods are used to safeguard the official resident of the US president against possible White House intruders. The security in the White House is chiefly provided by the US Secret Service.
The incident on Friday may have been the first time a fence- jumper has made it inside the White House which sparked criticism of the US Secret Service. As per spokesperson Ed Donovan, the White House intruder ran toward the building after climbing the fence on the north side while ignoring the calls from secret service officials.
The 42-year old White House intruder was seized just inside the north portico doors which are the grand entrance that miens out over Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington DC. The House Committee criticized the US Secret Service due to the security fail. Republican Chairman of the House of Representatives oversight and government reform subcommittee on national security Jason Chaffetz said that the incident was totally unacceptable and was just one of a series of security failings on the secret service sentinel.
The White House intruder was identified as Omar J Gonzales, 42-year old of Copperas Cove, Texas. He was detained and taken to a nearby hospital after complaining for chest pain. Officers who spotted him said that he appeared unarmed. US Secret Service spokesperson Ed Donovan said that a thorough investigation about the incident would be conducted. He added that the situation was a little different than other incidents at the White House.
While it is not remarkable for intruders to pull through over the White House fence, nearly all are halted instantaneously. Footage of the incident presented the suspect, in jeans and a dark shirt, dashing across the lawn as secret service agents yelled at proximate perambulators to clear the area.
The occurrence stimulated an infrequent evacuation of much of the White House. It occurred just after 7pm, minutes after President Obama and his daughters, along with one of the girls' guest, left the White House by helicopter destined for Camp David, the Maryland presidential sanctuary where Obama and his family were spending the weekend. First Lady Michelle Obama had journeyed independently and was not in the building when the incident transpired.
It seemed that White House intruders have been quite rampant lately. Just a week ago, the US Secret Service seized a man who jumped over the same stretch of fence on the September 11 attacks' anniversary. In recent years, the secret service has fought to foray a balance between safeguarding the first family's security and stabilizing the public's access to the White House grounds.
The US Secret Service did not only sparked criticisms from the House Committee but was also under ardent scrutiny especially when some of the agents were allegedly to have engaged prostitutes when assigned to protect the US president at an international assembly in Colombia in April 2012.
At present, the White house intrusion incident which resulted to a security fissure will probably to spark renewed inquiry of the US Secret Service, which has been hit recently by numerous scandals and allegations of misconduct. No doubt the House Committee criticized them.
