The White House was placed in temporary lockdown on Wednesday after a man jumped over the fence before being quickly apprehended by Secret Service agents and dogs.
Video of the incident taken by TV news cameras shows a man in white shorts just inside the White House fence on Pennsylvania Avenue.
The footage shows the man lifting his shirt as if to show agents that he has no weapons. The man is then seen kicking and then evidently punching at least one Secret Service dog that was released on him before he is surrounded by agents.
It comes less than five weeks after another man, Omar Gonzalez, 42, scaled the perimeter fence carrying a knife, crossed the lawn and broke into the White House East Room.
That incident – on 19 September – sparked an intense debate over the Security Service’s ability to protect the US president and culminated in the resignation of its director, Julia Pierson.
After the latest intrusion the Department of Homeland Security released a statement: “At approximately 7.16pm an individual climbed the north fenceline of the White House. The individual was immediately taken into custody on the north lawn of the White House by Secret Service uniformed division K-9 teams and uniformed division officers.
“The subject has been identified as Dominic Adesanya, 23 years old, Bel Air [Maryland]. Charges are pending. Adesanya was unarmed at the time of his arrest.”
Two Secret Service security dogs were injured and taken to a veterinarian, the statement said.
According to Adesanya’s father, who did not want to be named, told CNN affiliate WMAR that his son is paranoid and hears voices had done it before. Adesanya was arrested near the White House about two months ago and charged with a misdemeanor, he said.
“He had done it before. … He didn’t get that close,” the father told the affiliate. “He didn’t cross the fence. He was at the gate, fussing at the people, wanting to talk to the President to tell the President about his situation.”
The father said they’ve asked the government for help, without any success. He did not provide specifics on whom he sought help from.
“It’s hard to be in your house and not know if the person you’re living with is trustworthy and to know they’re mentally disturbed like he is,” the father said.
Philipos Meluku-Bello, a 52-year-old peace activist who witnessed Gonzalez jump over the fence and evade agents last month, and also saw the aftermath of Wednesday’s incident, said agents were much quicker on the scene this time.
“The response was immediate,” he said. “It wasn’t like the dropping of the ball four weeks ago.”
He added: “He [the intruder] was being wise, staying stiff. I don’t think these guys [the agents] were going to be embarrassed a second time.”
Meluku-Bello said he first first looked towards the White House grounds when he heard a man yell and the sound of a whistle. Seconds later, he said, “five, maybe six secret agents swarmed on him … they had batons and flashlights out”.
Several witnesses said the crowd outside the White House were moved into the park and, shortly afterwards, shepherded eastwards toward H Street.