A U.S. Secret Service Agent assigned to Vice President Kamala Harris exhibited concerning behaviors, culminating in a physical altercation that resulted in the agent being dismissed from the assignment and subsequently hospitalized.
According to a statement the Secret Service provided to CBS News, on Monday morning at Joint Base Andrews outside of Washington D.C., around 9 a.m. local time, the agent:
began displaying behavior their colleagues found distressing. The agent was removed from their assignment while medical personnel were summoned.
Two sources familiar with the situation told CBS that the agent spoke nonsensically and incoherently. Additionally, the agent is reported to have engaged in a physical altercation with another officer. The sources claim that the agent had pushed the special agent in charge while they were near the lounge area of Joint Base Andrews.
Real Clear Politics reported the agent began punching the special agent in charge after getting on top of him. In a social media post, reporter Susan Crabtree wrote:
BREAKING: Sources within the Secret Service community tell me the agent assigned to VP Kamala Harris was armed during the fight - that the gun was secured in the agent's holster until other agents physically restrained the agent and took the gun from the agent's possession. I'm also told there are DEI concerns among the USSS community about the hiring of this agent. Other agents and officers within the USSS are asking questions about the agent's hiring process, whether the USSS did enough to look into the agent's background and monitor the agent's mental well-being because there have been widespread concerns about other strange behavior before this incident. For now, I am also withholding the agent's name.
In a follow-up post, she wrote:
Other details: Sources say the agent in question was acted erratically upon showing up for a traveling shift at Joint Base Andrews. The agent ended up tackling the Senior Agent in Charge of the VP detail, got on top of him and started punching him. At this point, I'm told, the agent who was attacking the SAIC did indeed have a gun, but it was in the holster. Other agents are expressing relief that the agent did not shoot the SAIC.
Other details: Sources say the agent in question was acted erratically upon showing up for a traveling shift at Joint Base Andrews. The agent ended up tackling the Senior Agent in Charge of the VP detail, got on top of him and started punching him. At this point, I'm told, the…
— Susan Crabtree (@susancrabtree) April 24, 2024
The reports indicate the officer was detained by other agents and handcuffed following the incident, and ambulances were called to the scene. After an initial medical assessment, the agent was admitted to a hospital. At present, there is no indication of substance use, according to CBS' sources.
During the incident, Vice President Harris was at the Naval Observatory, and the situation did not impact her scheduled departure from Joint Base Andrews. It occurred roughly an hour before she arrived at the airbase for a flight to New York City, where she was scheduled for an interview on "The Drew Barrymore Show."
Once the agent receives additional medical care and assessments, a determination will be made regarding their ability to return to duty. The sources explained that an internal review will also be conducted, and the USSS will assess whether the agent's top-secret security clearance will be impacted medically or due to disciplinary actions. The sources further emphasized that, at this point, the incident is being treated as a medical matter rather than a disciplinary issue, given the apparent mental health emergency exhibited by the agent.
The full statement on the incident provided to The Washington Examiner by Secret Service Chief of Communications Anthony Guglielmi:
At approximately 9 a.m. April 22, a U.S. Secret Service special agent supporting the Vice President’s departure from Joint Base Andrews began displaying behavior their colleagues found distressing. The agent was removed from their assignment while medical personnel were summoned. The Vice President was at the Naval Observatory when this incident occurred and there was no impact on her departure from Joint Base Andrews. The U.S. Secret Service takes the safety and health of our employees very seriously. As this was a medical matter, we will not disclose any further details.
As noted, Real Clear Politics reported that the agent had previously been a subject of concern by staff and that the hiring process, including allegedly "DEI" practices, raised concerns among officers in the Secret Service.
The vice president was informed of the incident but has made no public comments.
Read More:
Join the conversation as a VIP Member