On Tuesday, U.S. Secret Service (USSS) officers, with guns drawn, arrested a couple during happy hour at a restaurant just a block from the White House.
In a statement provided to Fox News Digital by the USSS-
"At approximately 5:30 p.m. [on Tuesday], Secret Service Uniformed Division officers conducted a tag check on a parked, unoccupied vehicle at 15th St NW and H St NW," "The vehicle was determined to be stolen. Two individuals were subsequently arrested, one for unauthorized use of a vehicle and the second for carrying a pistol without a license,"
-U.S. Secret Service
According to NBC4, patrons at Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab, were stunned as they witnessed the incident, especially one patron named Jalen, who described the scene, "like something out of a movie." Recounting the event, he told the outlet that he had gone to the upscale eatery with a coworker, for something to eat when suddenly they saw-
"Secret Service and guns drawn."…"The next thing we heard was, 'Everybody get down,' “
-Jalen, Eatery Patron
NBC4 reported, that officers subsequently shut down the block adjacent to the restaurant and nearby hotel for several hours. The suspects were later taken to the 2nd District for processing, however their names were not released.
It would have been shocking for any regular citizen, much less someone who had just gone to happy hour to relax, not suspecting anything untoward. Further, that it was so text book (at least from a movie perspective) would have been a little disconcerting. Apparently, the secret service, don’t mince words when they have someone in their sites. Probably a good thing given the importance of their job.
“True public safety requires a collaboration between law enforcement and the community.”
-Betsy Hodges