White House Has Not Been Impenetrable
Security Breached On Many Occasions
In the last 25 years, White House security has been breached on
numerous occasions by intruders, who have tried crashing through
the northwest gate, flying onto the grounds and scaling the fence
around the complex. In 1991 alone, the Secret Service recorded
seven "fence jumpers."
Despite those incursions, no president ever was injured. "The
White House Complex has always been a relatively safe location
for the president," noted a White House Security Review released
yesterday.
According to that report, the various incidents include:
Feb. 17, 1974. Army Pvt. Robert Preston stole a helicopter from
Fort Meade and flew to the White House, passing over it and
hovering above the south grounds for several minutes. Although
Preston touched down briefly near the West Wing, security did not
shoot at his craft. Preston flew back toward Fort Meade, with
Maryland State Police helicopters in pursuit, then returned to
the White House. His helicopter was shot down on the south
grounds.
Dec. 25, 1974. A man who said he was the messiah and had flares
strapped to his body crashed his car through the northwest gate
and drove up to the North Portico. Marshall Fields threatened to
detonate the flares, which he said were explosives. He
surrendered after about four hours of negotiations with
officials.
July 27, 1976. A taxi driver named Chester Plummer climbed the
fence carrying a three-foot metal pipe. As Plummer approached the
White House, a security officer ordered him to halt. When Plummer
refused and raised the pipe "in a threatening manner," the
officer shot him in the chest. Plummer died a short time later.
Oct. 3, 1978. Clad in a white karate suit and carrying a Bible,
Anthony Henry scaled the fence onto the north grounds; he hoped
to persuade President Carter to delete "In God We Trust" from
U.S. currency for religious reasons. When confronted by security,
Henry pulled a knife from the Bible and slashed two officers. The
knife was knocked away, and Henry was forced to the ground and
arrested.
March 3, 1984. David Mahonski, who was under surveillance for
threats against President Reagan, pulled a sawed-off shotgun as
security officers approached him outside the fence along the
White House's south grounds. He was shot in the arm and arrested.
Jan. 20, 1985. On the day that President Reagan was sworn in for
a second term, a man entered the White House by walking in with
the Marine Band. Robert Latta wandered the Executive Mansion for
15 minutes before he was discovered and arrested.
Sept. 12, 1994. In a Cessna stolen from Aidino Airport in
Churchville, Md., an unlicensed pilot named Frank Eugene Corder
flew to Washington, entering the prohibited airspace around the
White House just before 2 a.m. after passing low over the
Ellipse, he dove toward the White House and crashed on the
lawn just south of the Executive Mansion. The plane skidded,
struck a tree near the South Portico steps and hit a first-floor
corner of the mansion. President Clinton and his family were not
there at the time. Corder died in the crash.
Oct. 29, 1994. At least 29 shots from a semiautomatic rifle were
fired at the White House by Francisco Martin Duran. A tourist
video-taped Duran shooting as he ran down the south sidewalk of
Pennsylvania Avenue. Three passersby tackled him as he tried to
reload. Thirty rounds of live ammunition were found in Duran's
coat pocket, and his pickup truck contained more ammunition, a
shotgun and a hand written note saying, "Kill the Pres!"
No one was injured in the shooting. President Clinton was in the
White House but was never in danger. Duran, who was convicted
last month of attempted murder of the president, will be
sentenced in June.
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