A new review points to a series of Secret Service failings as the reason Omar Gonzales managed to penetrate the White House in September.
A member of the U.S. Secret Service at the White House Oct. 1.
Win McNamee / Getty Images
The Department of Homeland Security review explores how 42-year-old Army veteran Omar Gonzalez penetrated the White House on Sept. 19. Gonzalez had hundreds of rounds of ammunition in his car, investigators later found.
According to the review, the Secret Service's radios and alarms didn't function correctly, The New York Times reported. In addition, a Secret Service officer missed Gonzales because he was talking on his personal cellphone and didn't have his earpiece in. The officer had also left his second radio in his locker.
The report comes after a series of Secret Service security failings that have drawn widespread criticism. Director Julia Pierson resigned after the incident.
The review documents a pair of run-ins Gonzalez had with police in July. During the first, a Virginia officer stopped him for driving violations but then found 11 guns in his car. Gonzalez was arrested but later released on bond. During the second encounter with police, on July 21, officers searched Gonzalez's car and found "a map of Washington, D.C., with the White House and two other sites highlighted."
The map was reported to the local Secret Service office, which decided not to report it up the chain of command.
This is a developing story. Check back later and follow @BuzzFeedNews on Twitter for details.
from BuzzFeed - Breaking http://ift.tt/1sKuwZK
No comments:
Post a Comment