Authorities detained a man who drove onto a sidewalk north of Lafayette Square near the White House on Sept. 19 and reportedly asked to speak to the president. The Secret Service says the vehicle was searched and the individual was taken to a hospital for a mental health evaluation; no secondary threat was found. Nearby roads were temporarily closed as a precaution. The incident follows several recent security breaches and vehicle-related episodes around the presidential complex.
Secret Service Detains Man After Vehicle Mounts Sidewalk Near White House; He Reportedly Asked To Speak To President
An unidentified person outside Lafayette Square was arrested by U.S. Secret Service officers near the White House in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 19, 2026Credit: Graeme Sloan/Getty
Officials are investigating after a man drove a vehicle onto a sidewalk just north of Lafayette Square, near the White House, and reportedly asked to speak to the president.
A U.S. Secret Service spokesperson told PEOPLE the driver mounted the sidewalk at the intersection of 16th Street and H Street NW shortly after 12:15 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 19. Photographs from the scene show a man being handcuffed while officers searched his vehicle.
"Out of an abundance of caution, local roads were shut down, and the vehicle was swept with negative results," the Secret Service said. The agency added that the individual was detained, his car was searched, and he was taken to a nearby hospital for a mental health evaluation. Social media and wire reports indicated the man allegedly demanded to speak to Donald Trump, who was not at the White House at the time and was at Camp David, Maryland.
An unidentified person outside Lafayette Square was arrested by U.S. Secret Service officers near the White House in Washington, D.C., on Sep. 19, 2026Credit: Graeme Sloan/Getty
Response and Context
Secret Service officers on scene were aided by the Metropolitan Police Department, and the agency praised the rapid response of its police officers. PEOPLE has contacted the White House for further comment.
This incident adds to a string of security-related events around the presidential complex in recent years, including a May shooting near Pennsylvania Avenue and 17th Street NW that left two people struck and ended when Secret Service agents shot the alleged shooter, identified in reports as 21-year-old Nasire Best. In March, a van drove through a barricade at Connecticut Avenue and H Street NW and the driver was detained and questioned. Other past episodes include a 2023 U-Haul crash into a gate and a 2024 crash into a security barrier that proved fatal.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress or substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org for support available 24/7.
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