The Secret Service has had a pretty bad rap these past few years, with several well-publicized incidents of them not protecting the president.
But gotta give credit where credit is due.
When Jessie Olivieri came to the White House on May 20th, his only intention was to “shoot people,” he told authorities.
The thing that stopped a rampage? A swift shot to the chest by a quick-acting Secret Service agent.
The above video shows the dramatic actions of the officer (don’t worry, it’s been edited to make safe for viewing.)
From ABC News:
On May 20, Olivieri left his home in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and drove his white Toyota Camry to a park near the White House, according to U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Harvey.
After apparently firing one shot there, Olivieri approached the White House, passing through a security gate on the perimeter of the White House grounds and ignoring Secret Service officers’ orders to stop, Harvey noted.
When Olivieri reached an inner gate, another Secret Service agent confronted him.
“The agent, standing behind the gate and in [Olivieri’s] path, ordered [him] to halt and drop the gun. He did neither, even seeming to wave off the commands with the hand not holding the gun. Moments later, the agent shot him in the chest,” Harvey wrote in a court document filed today and based on the video, which was obtained by ABC News.
Olivieri survived the gunshot, and now faces up to 20 years in prison for his actions.
Well done, Secret Service.