Muted alarms, fumbling cop eased White House intruder’s way

A summary of the government’s investigation, released Thursday night, revealed sensational new details about the Sept. 19 break-in at the White House by a disturbed Army veteran carrying a knife.

The government determined that lack of training, poor staffing decisions and communication problems contributed to the embarrassing failure that ultimately led to the resignation of the head of the Secret Service, Julia Pierson. The report disclosed Thursday did not specify any disciplinary actions.

The new report said White House intruder Omar Gonzalez cleared the fence where a trident, or ornamental spike, was missing. An officer in the joint operations centre who tried to raise the alarm was unaware his warnings weren’t being broadcast to uniformed officers stationed at the executive mansion.

Some officers at a gate failed to see the fence-jumper because their view was obstructed by a construction project. A Secret Service canine officer parked on the White House driveway was using the speaker function on his personal cellphone without his radio ear piece and a second, tactical radio was stashed away in his locker as Gonzalez made his way into the secure area.

Two officers wrongly assumed Gonzalez wouldn’t be able to get through thick bushes on the property. Another officer posted on the portico outside the White House doors mistakenly assumed the doors were locked.

Gonzalez, 42, was able to run into the building before an officer seated just inside the building could lock a second set of doors.

That officer tried twice to take Gonzalez down but was unable because she was smaller than the intruder. She reached for a metal baton but mistakenly grabbed a flashlight instead. As she dropped the light and drew her gun, Gonzalez made his way into the East Room before heading back down a hallway on the State Floor deep within the White House.

Gonzalez was eventually tackled by another officer, who was helped by two plainclothes agents just finishing a shift, the report said.

Investigators also said members of an emergency response team didn’t know the layout of the White House and hesitated to go into the mansion after Gonzalez.

Gonzalez has pleaded not guilty in federal court to charges of unlawfully entering a restricted building while carrying a deadly weapon, which is a federal charge, and two violations of District of Columbia law – carrying a dangerous weapon outside a home or business and unlawful possession of ammunition.