In an unusual incident, Uniformed Secret Service officers shot and killed an intruder armed with a metal stake or poleย at the Peruvian ambassador's Northwest D.C. residence Tuesday morning. All this while the ambassador and his wife were in the home,ย reportedย local D.C. news WTOP.
According to reportsย from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the Secret Service officers, who reported aย โburglary in progressโย at about 8 am, unsuccessfully tried to subdue the intruder, who bashed in windows and doors around the back of the house, with Tasers before firing their service weapons.
โThey encountered this person, they pulled their โฆ tasers. This person was holding a metal stake. The officers fired those tasers. They did not take effect. And as these weapons did not take effect ultimately, the officers ended up pulling their service weapons, firing shots, and this person is now deceased,โ MPD Chief Robert Contee said.
The unidentified man,ย described by policeย as being in his late 20s to early 30s, entered the propertyย and was pronounced dead on the scene. The officers were taken to a local hospital for evaluation, though Contee stated he did not believe they had sustained life-threatening injuries.
While the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security protects U.S. embassies and diplomats overseas, the Uniformed Division officers of the Secret Service assigned to the Foreign Missions Branch protect more than 500 foreign diplomatic missions in the Washington metropolitan area.
According to the Secretย Service's websiteย regarding its Foreign Missions branch:
Officers also handle demonstrations at diplomatic locations, assist in motorcade movements, man fixed protective posts, investigate and process crime scenes, and consult with diplomatic officials regarding protection and law enforcement mattersย related to their embassies, chanceries and personnel.
โWe don't see these types of incidents around here; this is totally out of the ordinary,โ Chief Contee said at a media briefing. โI can't recall the last time we had this type of incident on the property of one of our ambassadors.โ
In a statement, the Peruvian embassy said: โThe ambassador, his family, residence staff and Secret Service officers are safe.โ