On Friday, April 12, the Secret Service apprehended a man who had set himself on fire outside the White House. The man was riding a motorized wheelchair and reportedly set his outer jacket on fire, but was not able to completely set himself ablaze according to NBC News. He was sitting on Pennsylvania Avenue outside the North Fence Line, which is a popular gathering spot for tourists.
The four uniformed division officers responded immediately and extinguished the fire and delivered first aid to the man. MSN News reported that the four officers that apprehended the man were seen carrying him face-down out of Lafayette Square which is across from The White House.
Doug Buchanan, a spokesman for the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services, said that the man was taken to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries, as reported by The Washington Post. He also said that by the time the firefighters arrived at the scene, the fire was already extinguished.
The US Secret Service also provided live updates about the event and tweeted “UPDATE: The male subject has been transported to a local hospital with what appears to be non-life threatening injuries” at 12 p.m.
Around the time of the fire, President Trump was at the White House having an afternoon meeting with the Fraternal Order of Police Executive Board in the Cabinet Room. However on Friday, it was not certain if the man was protesting the White House or anything in particular by setting himself on fire.
After the incident, part of Pennsylvania Ave in front of the White House was closed in order to investigate the fire, and for fire and police personnel to respond to the fire. Secret Service also asked the press to stay inside the West Wing after the fire. The Business Insider reported that The White House was temporarily placed on lockdown which is common for events like this, including others like if someone jumps over the fence or if a suspicious package is delivered.
As of 3:30 p.m. on April 12, no criminal charges had been filed, however it is still a developing story.