Late last night the Secret Service held a very brief press conference where the chief of the uniformed division read a prepared statement:
In his statement, Chief Tom Sullivan said that a 51-year-old male approached a Secret Service agent at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Ave and told him he had a weapon. He said at that point the man turned around, then ran aggressively toward the officer and “in a drawing motion withdrew an object from his clothing.”
Sullivan says the man then “crouched into a shooter’s stance as if he was about to fire a weapon.” At that point the officer discharged his weapon, striking the man in the torso. The man and the officer were taken to the hospital. Fox News reported this morning that the officer was not injured, but was only taken to the hospital as part of a standard procedure.
Given the bizarre nature of the altercation, it makes sense why the Secret Service pulled Trump out of his press conference. They were likely concerned this was perhaps a distraction for something more sinister and wanted to ensure the president was secure. Also, as I noted yesterday, everyone knew where Trump was because his presser was being broadcast live.
Sullivan didn’t answer any questions as the investigation is ongoing. Fox News also reported that there is a video of the altercation and that the Secret Service is asking for it to be released to the public.