Man Charged After Jumping White House Fence, Dogs Cleared for Duty

Washington: A man arrested after jumping the White House fence on Wednesday night has been charged with three felony counts and four misdemeanors, the US Secret Service said on Thursday.

Dominic Adesanya of Bel Air, Maryland, was unarmed when he was arrested on the White House grounds after facing Secret Service dogs that stopped and attacked him, the Secret Service said.

The incident came about one month after an intruder with a knife scaled the White House fence and entered the executive mansion, raising questions about security at the heavily guarded complex and spurring the resignation of Julia Pierson as Secret Service director.

Officials charged Adesanya, 23, with two felony counts of assault on a K-9 police officer, one felony count of making threats and four misdemeanor counts of resisting and unlawful entry, Secret Service spokesman Brian Leary said. K-9 refers to the team using specially trained dogs.

The Washington Post said Adesanya was bitten by a dog. He was taken to a hospital for evaluation and then turned over to the U.S. Marshals Service because of outstanding warrants, Leary said. His court date has not yet been set.

Hurricane and Jordan, the two dogs that stopped the intruder, have been cleared to return to duty after being treated for minor bruising, Leary said.

Video showed the intruder punching one of the dogs and Secret Service agents surrounding him on the north lawn of the White House.

In an interview with ABC's Baltimore affiliate WMAR, Adesanya's father said his son was "mentally disturbed" and had previously gone to the White House seeking to talk to President Barack Obama but had been stopped at the gate.

"He'd done it before. He didn't get that close," his father, who declined to be named or shown on camera, told WMAR. He said he has been unable to find help for his son.

The White House was locked down for almost two hours after the incident on Wednesday, the same day a gunman attacked Canada's parliament in Ottawa.

On Tuesday, a federal judge ordered Omar Gonzalez, charged in the Sept. 19 fence-jumping incident, to undergo a mental health evaluation.

Gonzalez, 42, an Army veteran living in Texas, was not stopped until he entered the main floor of the White House. In addition to the knife he was carrying, officers found more weapons in his car.
He is scheduled to reappear in court Dec. 3.