Two people were arrested in separate incidents near the White House on Monday after a vehicle crashed onto a sidewalk near Lafayette Park and another person jumped a security barricade, according to the U.S. Secret Service (USSS).
The first incident happened shortly before 10 a.m. at the intersection of 16th Street and H Street NW, on the north side of Lafayette Park. A vehicle crashed onto the sidewalk, and the driver became combative with law enforcement officers before being taken into custody, the USSS said.
The Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) team was called to inspect the vehicle as a precaution. Roads surrounding Lafayette Park were subsequently closed while authorities carried out the security check.
Around the same time, a second person jumped a barricade near the park’s northwest corner. USSS officers also arrested that individual, according to the agency.
Video circulating on social media showed a vehicle near the park with smoke coming from its engine after the crash. Authorities have not released the identities of either person or disclosed what may have led to the incidents.
The Secret Service temporarily moved reporters and other members of the press into the White House briefing room following the incidents. They were later allowed to leave.
Unclear what happened but someone just drove into a sign on the north end of Lafayette Square Park and then fought with Secret Service and National Guard when they got out of their car. https://t.co/Mwcrk4klQn
— Martin Austermuhle (@maustermuhle) November 9, 2026