Man accused of jumping fence, entering White House due in court

The man accused of running into the White House last month after scaling the fence and evading Secret Service officers is due in federal court Tuesday.

Omar Gonzalez, 42, sought to warn the president Sept. 19 that “the atmosphere was collapsed.” Authorities say he was tackled by Secret Service agents after entering through the unlocked front door, part of a string of embarrassing breaches for the agency that led to the resignation of its director, Julia Pierson.

Gonzalez was later found to be carrying a pocketknife and storing hundreds of rounds of ammunition in his car nearby.

A judge has ordered a mental health evaluation to determine whether Gonzalez, an Iraq war veteran, was competent to stand trial. Defense attorneys had said they would fight the order.

Gonzalez faces six counts, including two federal charges of assaulting officers and city charges related to possession of weapons and ammunition, some of which are illegal in the District of Columbia.

He waived his right to a detention hearing and remains in federal custody.

A former agent, Joseph Clancy, was named as interim Secret Service director to replace Pierson. The Department of Homeland Security, which includes the Secret Service, has promised that an independent investigation of the agency will be conducted, with findings due in mid-December.