Man who crashed U-Haul truck near White House wanted to end U S. democracy, prosecutors say

Table Of Content

• Jason Kelce to be part of ESPN's 'Monday Night Countdown': AP source
• Uninvolved driver killed when high-speed pursuit ends in violent crash in South L.A.
• Man with Nazi flag who crashed U-Haul near White House praised Hitler
• The truck crashed into a barrier on the north side of Lafayette Square
• Man who wanted to seize power struck White House barrier with truck, law enforcement says
• year-old Missouri man arrested in U-Haul crash at White House security barriers

Roughly a quarter of the pursuits, 1,032, resulted in a collision that caused injuries or deaths. The Porsche exited the freeway during the pursuit, and deputies continued to chase the Lexus. Deputies called off their pursuit because of excessive speeds but followed from the air and notified the California Highway Patrol, which picked up the chase on the freeway, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

Jason Kelce to be part of ESPN's 'Monday Night Countdown': AP source

Lafayette Square has long been one of the nation’s most prominent venues for demonstration near the Executive Mansion. The park was closed for nearly a year after federal authorities fenced off the area at the height of nationwide protests over policing following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, but it reopened in May 2021. A "preliminary investigation reveals the driver may have intentionally struck" the barrier, he said. Investigators seized a red flag with a Nazi symbol, according to video and a law enforcement source. Kandula told agents he bought the flag because “Nazis have a great history,” charging documents say.

Uninvolved driver killed when high-speed pursuit ends in violent crash in South L.A.

Kandula allegedly traveled from St. Louis to Dulles International Airport where he rented a U-Haul truck and drove to the White House, law enforcement sources told ABC News. After ramming the bollard, Kandula exited the vehicle and began waving a flag with what authorities say appeared to be a swastika on it, and that is when officers from the U.S. While authorities have not provided specific details on the alleged threat, the US Park Police said the man faces the charge of threatening to kill, kidnap or inflict harm on a President, vice president or family member. WASHINGTON - The 19-year-old suspect arrested for driving into a security barrier not far from the White House will appear in D.C.

Man with Nazi flag who crashed U-Haul near White House praised Hitler

A driver who was arrested after crashing into security barriers near the White House has been charged with threatening to kill or harm the US president, along with other crimes. Sai Varshith Kandula, 19, of Chesterfield, Missouri, is being held without bond and appeared in federal court Wednesday. The other three dropped charges were assault with a dangerous weapon, reckless operation of a motor vehicle and trespassing. All four of those charges could come back when he is formally indicted, but he was not charged with them on Wednesday. The incident began just before 10 p.m., when the truck crashed into security barriers on the north side of Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C., about a block from the White House.

The truck crashed into a barrier on the north side of Lafayette Square

He had met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy Monday night to discuss the debt limit. The government argued that the attack on federal grounds was planned out, including travel from the St. Louis area to Washington and the rental of the box truck. Kandula told Secret Service agents he planned to seize power and would kill President Joe Biden if necessary.

Truck driver charged with threatening president after crash near White House

Superior Court, where the suspect did appear Tuesday and was held without bond. The FBI interviewed suspect Kandula on Tuesday and told law enforcement that he wanted to seize power, take over the government and kill the president, according to three law enforcement sources. Sources tell ABC News that authorities are looking at a mental health component to the investigation.

He was under evaluation after being taken into custody, the officers said, adding there was no ongoing threat. There were no injuries reported to any Secret Service or White House personnel, spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement. A U-Haul crashed into a barricade outside the White House Monday night and nearby hotels, including the Hay-Adams- have been evacuated. FOX 5's Shomari Stone reports from the scene of the crash with more details. Court documents revealed the suspect made comments very sympathetic to Nazis, allegedly calling Hitler a strong leader. He also claimed he wanted to get his "book" in front of the people who needed to see it.

The CHP did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Times. The male driver was taken into custody in the area of Park Street and Bellflower Boulevard after a brief foot pursuit in which he summersaulted over a fence and appeared to have trouble keeping a shoe on. Shortly before 7 a.m., flames engulfed the right front of the U-Haul truck with heavy black smoke, forcing the driver to exit in Bellflower and abandon the burning U-Haul in the area of Beach Street and Bellflower Boulevard. She has previously written for outlets including PIX11 News, The New York Daily News, Inside Edition and DNAinfo. In 2019, the Secret Service said a driver tried to get into the White House complex by following an official vehicle through a gate. Traffic was impacted near 15th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, which is the eastern side of the White House complex near the Treasury Building, after the crash, authorities said.

Alleged U-Haul, White House crash driver hires St. Louis attorney - KSDK.com

Alleged U-Haul, White House crash driver hires St. Louis attorney.

Posted: Fri, 25 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

A charge concerning threats to the president was not pursued Wednesday. A U-Haul spokesperson said Kandula paid for a one-day rental of a 26-foot U-Haul Monday evening in Herndon, Virginia, on a valid contract with proper identification. It wasn't immediately clear where President Joe Biden was at the time of the crash, NBC News reported.

The driver also was also arrested on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, destruction of federal property and trespassing, according to the Park Police. WUSA television showed video of a U-Haul truck stopped alongside a row of steel bollards as police officers and a dog approached the vehicle. A remote-controlled robot then pried open the truck’s rear door, revealing a trolley but no other obvious cargo. Authorities in Washington DC detained the driver of the truck, which was deemed safe by District of Columbia police. A swastika flag, used by the Nazi regime as it systematically murdered 6 million Jews during the Holocaust, was found in the rented truck that crashed. Had the barriers been breached, two fences providing additional layers of security would have been in-between the driver and the White House.

Driver in Custody After Crashing Into Gate Near the White House - The New York Times

Driver in Custody After Crashing Into Gate Near the White House.

Posted: Mon, 08 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Kandula rented the truck in Herndon, Virginia, and had a valid contract in his name, according to the company. The man, identified as Sai Varshith Kandula, told police he bought the flag because “Nazis have a great history” and he admired their “authoritarian nature, Eugenics, and their one world order,” according to the court document. He called Adolf Hitler “a strong leader” and said he would “hurt anyone that would stand in my way,” the court document says. According to the initial investigation, Kandula intentionally crashed into the bollards around Lafayette Park, Park Police said in a statement. President Joe Biden was in the White House when the truck crashed outside, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday.

A U-Haul truck crashed into security barriers around Lafayette Square across the street from the White House Monday night, the Secret Service said. The driver of the truck had a Nazi flag with him when he was arrested, according to court documents. In May, a U-Haul truck driver crashed into security barriers around Lafayette Square across the street from the White House, officials said at the time. The 19-year-old driver had a Nazi flag with him when he was arrested, according to court documents. Police named the suspect as 19-year-old Sai Varshith Kandula from Chesterfield, Missouri, which is just to the west of St Louis. He was accused of threatening to kill, kidnap or inflict harm on the president, vice-president or a relative, said a statement from the US park police, who have jurisdiction of the area where the struck barriers are located.

He wanted to "get to the White House, seize power and be put in charge of the nation," according to charging documents. He also said he would "kill the president, if that's what I have to do," documents say. The Secret Service interviewed Kandula on Monday night, and the charge that he threatened to kill, kidnap or harm the president, vice president or a relative is related to his statements, a Secret Service spokesman told NBC News.

Officials have not yet released any identifying information about the driver. Lafayette Square itself was closed for nearly a year in 2020 and 2021, after authorities fenced off the area during protests over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The nearby Hay Adams Hotel was evacuated at the request of the Secret Service, the Washington Post reported, citing a hotel official, while the Secret Service said some roads and pedestrian walkways around the park were closed. The flag and plastic evidence bags were photographed laid out on the road after the crash. A Reuters witness said investigators found the flag, which apparently came from inside the truck. The news of the accusation about the Nazi flag and Kandula’s identity was met with skepticism among some quarters on social media.

Kandula was arrested on multiple charges, and prosecutors charged him with damaging U.S. property. Sai Varshith Kandula, 19, removed the flag from a backpack shortly after smashing the box truck into the barrier near the north side of Lafayette Square on Monday around 10 p.m., according to charging documents. Park Police officer who rushed to the scene of the crash and saw him take out the flag. The Reuters news agency published an image showing a Nazi-style red flag emblazoned with a swastika laid on the ground beside the van. Reuters, citing its own photographer on the scene and a witness, reported that the items apparently taken from the truck had been placed on the sidewalk and were seized by officers.

Monday evening, Kandula rented a U-Haul truck, drove to the White House, crashed into a security barrier near the north side of Lafayette Square and waved around a Nazi flag that he pulled from a backpack, according to documents. On May 22, 2023, a U-Haul truck crashed into the north barriers of Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C. The driver, Sai Varshith Kandula, is accused of having intended to seize power. It also showed investigators using a remote-controlled robot to pry open the truck's rear door. The U.S. Secret Service said that a 19-year-old man who rammed a U-Haul truck into the security gate outside the White House on Monday night has been charged with threatening the president.