A man was apprehended after attempting to scale the White House fence on Monday afternoon, February 3.
The incident occurred around 4:20 p.m. when the man began climbing an outer fence on the South Grounds of the presidential residence in Washington, D.C.
Witness David Stanley told Fox 5 that the man walked past a group of bystanders, shouted “f*** it,” and proceeded to climb the wrought iron barrier.
Secret Service agents quickly responded to the scene, with rooftop snipers reportedly “scurrying around,” according to Stanley. K-9 officers also rushed to the area.
The man’s identity has not been released, and it remains unclear whether he will face charges.
Officials have not disclosed the motive behind the attempted fence climb, and the incident is under review by the Secret Service as part of their standard protocol for protective operations.
President Donald Trump was at the White House that day, addressing reporters in the Oval Office after signing a series of executive orders and proclamations. It is unknown if he was in the residence when the event occurred.
The White House is surrounded by an 18-acre property protected by a 13-foot wrought iron fence, which was constructed during Trump’s first term. The need for a taller fence was highlighted during the Obama administration after a series of security breaches, including one in September 2014 when a Texas man scaled the fence, entered the White House, and sprinted across the North Lawn.
In response to this breach, security officials installed a second, shorter barrier made of metal bike racks in front of the main fence. This created a two-layered system for potential intruders to navigate.
In July 2015, an “anti-climb” feature was added to the top of the fence, consisting of sharp metal points to deter would-be climbers.
Security measures were further tightened after Trump’s inauguration in 2017, following an incident where a man carrying Mace climbed the fence and roamed the grounds for about 17 minutes before being discovered by Secret Service officers.
