Two people were arrested near Lafayette Park on Monday morning. Reporters were held in the briefing room, and no injuries were reported.
The White House press area was briefly locked down Monday morning after a driver crashed a car near Lafayette Park.
Just before 10 a.m., a silver sedan drove onto the sidewalk at 16th and H Streets NW, on the park's north side, and crashed into a barrier or sign. Smoke was visible from the engine. The Secret Service said the driver was "combative" with officers and was quickly arrested.
At about the same time, a second person jumped a barricade at the park's northwest corner and was also arrested. The two arrests were separate incidents.
Secret Service agents moved West Wing reporters into the briefing room, and they have since been released. Police bomb technicians swept the vehicle, and roads around the park were closed. No injuries have been reported.
The car did not come near the executive mansion's gates, which are more than a block away. President Donald Trump was at the White House preparing for meetings.
Authorities are investigating both incidents. The identities of the two people and a motive have not been released.
The Secret Service said the incident reflects a growing threat from armed individuals "drawn to the White House complex."
On Thursday, officers arrested a man on Constitution Avenue who, the Department of Homeland Security said, had three guns and dozens of rounds in a stolen vehicle and told officers he had come to Washington to kill the president. Reporting reviewed does not link that case to Monday's incidents.
ā¢ Man arrested outside White House after crashing vehicle at Lafayette Square Park, Fox News
ā¢ Secret Service puts White House on lockdown after car rams through secure area with Trump home in DC, New York Post
ā¢ White House press area locked down after driver hits security barrier, NBC4 Washington
Loading comments...