A former police officer with nine guns in his car parked near the White House early Sunday, urinated outside and told Secret Service officers he needed to talk with top security officials about getting a microchip out of his head, officials said.
Timothy Bates, 37, of Collierville, Tennessee, told Secret Service officers he drove from Tennessee to D.C. through the night to speak with Defense Secretary James Mattis and National Security Agency Director Admiral Mike Rogers, charging documents said.
Officers searched his car and found nine guns -- including one they described as a machine gun -- a set of brass knuckles, a blackjack and three knives with blades longer than 3 inches. Seven of the nine guns were loaded, officials said.
Bates appeared in court Monday and was charged with multiple weapons violations. His defense attorney said she did not think Bates needed further mental evaluation. He received an initial evaluation Sunday night.
In a statement Monday, the Secret Service said Bates approached several officers at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW at 7:15 a.m. The location is the Old Executive Office Building, part of the White House grounds.
An officer saw him urinating on the sidewalk and noticed a license tag that indicated Bates was a police officer. The officer asked if he had guns in the car and found a small arsenal.
The Memphis Police Department confirmed Bates was an officer in the city for 13 years before leaving in 2013.
Prosecutors said Bates was involuntarily committed for mental health issues earlier this year and had an encounter with police in July, in which he acted erratically.
Bates was charged with carrying a dangerous weapon, unlawful transport of weapon, possession of prohibited weapon, carrying a pistol without a license, possession of an unregistered firearm and possession of unregistered ammunition.
He was held without bond. The case may get transferred to federal court, because a machine gun was present.
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The case is the latest in a fast-rising number of White House fence jumpers and people deliberately violating security perimeters on Capitol grounds. Since 2014, at least 22 people have been arrested and convicted for breaching security at the White House or U.S. Capitol, according to an investigation by the News4 I-Team.
