Photo: Alamy
The Secret Service shot an armed man early Sunday morning near the White House, authorities reported.
The man, who had traveled to Washington, D.C., from Indiana, pulled a firearm when his car was approached by service members, according to a statement from the Secret Service.
“On Sunday, March 9, an adult male was shot by U.S. Secret Service personnel following an armed confrontation with law enforcement in Washington DC,” the Secret Service statement read.
“Earlier on Saturday, local police shared information about a suicidal individual who may be traveling to Washington DC from Indiana. Around midnight, members of the Secret Service encountered the individual’s parked vehicle near 17th and F Streets, NW. They also saw an individual on foot matching the description nearby. As officers approached, the individual brandished a firearm and an armed confrontation ensued, during which shots were fired by our personnel. The suspect was transported to an area hospital and his condition is unknown. There were no reported injuries to Secret Service personnel,” it continued.
“The incident is under investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department Internal Affairs Division’s Force Investigations Team, which investigates all law enforcement officer involved shootings in the District of Columbia,” it concluded.
The man was hospitalized and his status is unknown. President Donald Trump was not in Washington at the time.
The incident occurred shortly after midnight, about a block west of the White House near the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. According to police sources, the suspect was identified as 27-year-old Andrew Dawson from Indiana.
Agents reported that he was armed with both a firearm and a knife when confronted by officers investigating an earlier alert. Indiana police had previously warned D.C. authorities that Dawson was traveling to the Washington, D.C. area and was considered “suicidal.” Intelligence bulletins also suggested that he intended to carry out “suicide by cop.”
Secret Service agents located his parked car near 17th and F Streets, NW, and spotted a person nearby matching his description.
“Dawson has one previous arrest for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia in 2018, but no other criminal record, according to Indiana court records,” the New York Post reported on Sunday.