The Secret Service arrested a man who they say assaulted a police officer and tried to climb over the fence surrounding the White House grounds.
The man, 21-year-old Dayton Hershey, tried to scale the fence on the northwest side of the Treasury Building on Pennsylvania Avenue around 9 p.m. Friday, the Secret Service said.
“The subject was immediately apprehended by Secret Service personnel and taken into custody,” a spokesperson said in a statement to ABC News. Hershey was charged with assault on a police officer and unlawful entry.
The White House announced last week that it was raising the height of the fence surrounding the iconic building in order to deter would-be climbers. The height will be doubled as part of a $64 million construction project.
The last time someone entered the White House grounds unlawfully was in November 2017. Victor Merswin, 24, was arrested soon after attempting to get into the White House by jumping a fenced bike rack.
The White House and surrounding areas are a central hub for protesters and publicity in Washington. Last month a man died after lighting himself on fire outside the White House.
