Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee (C) holds a news conference after Secret Service officers fatally shot a reported intruder at the residence of the ambassador of Peru on Wednesday. Photo by Michael Reynolds/EPA-EFE.
April 20 (UPI) — Secret Service officers shot and killed a man Wednesday morning at the Peruvian ambassador’s residence in Washington, D.C. after a reported confrontation, police said
Investigators said they believe the man broke windows at the home before approaching officers while holding a metal stake.
D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee told the Washington Post that officers on the scene, who arrived after the family heard breaking glass, tried to subdue the intruder with stun guns in the back yard.
That failed to stop him, and two officers fired their guns.
The intruder, described as a man in his late 20s or early 30s, has not been identified. Police remain unsure of his motive or whether he knew the residence belonged to the ambassador. Two officers are undergoing injury evaluations.
“This is totally out of the ordinary,” Contee told reporters.
The Peruvian Embassy later confirmed the incident via Twitter.
“The ambassador, his family, the residential staff and the Secret Service agents are safe, and the fact is being investigated by the competent authorities,” the embassy wrote.
Oswaldo de Rivero serves as Peru’s ambassador to the United States, according to the embassy’s website. He and his wife were home during the incident, Contee said.
This week, Peruvians took to the streets in Lima to protest high fuel and food prices, though it’s unclear if those protests were linked to the break-in.
