White House Locked Down After Driver Follows Obama’s Daughters’ Motorcade

Late Tuesday afternoon, a man following a motorcade into a secure area near the White House caused the Secret Service to lock down the home of the President and his family for more than an hour.

The unidentified driver entered the restricted area around 4:40 pm Tuesday afternoon behind a motorcade that included Sasha and Malia, President Barack Obama’s two daughters, who go to school nearby, according to a source familiar with the incident.

According to the President’s schedule, President Obama was in the White House during the time of the incident, meeting with Secretary of State John Kerry.

The driver, a middle-aged man, was immediately taken into police custody after being stopped and detained by an officer at the outer perimeter of a checkpoint at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, after which the DC police swept the vehicle for explosives and restored access about an hour later.

According to New Haven Registry, the 55-year-old male driver, who holds a pass for the US Treasury building, was eventually charged with unlawful entry.

Even minor security breaches like the one today can bring on a lockdown due to the tight security at the White House.

In February, the White House was put on lockdown after a man tried to jump the fence. Authorities gave an all clear after checking his briefcase and taking him into custody. The man’s identity was not released.

A more intense situation ensued last October, when a woman drove a black sedan with her toddler inside into a security barrier and Secret Service officer near the White House. Police chased her through the streets of DC until she was shot and killed by police near the US Capitol; her child was unharmed and was taken into protective custody.

There is no word if the driver of today’s incident is still in police custody.

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