A man was found dead Wednesday morning at the Ellipse park south of the White House, and D.C. police say he was apparently beaten to death.
About 9 a.m., a jogger spotted the man, who was a member of the homeless community, and flagged down a U.S. Secret Service officer, believing that he might need medical attention, D.C. Assistant Police Chief Morgan Kane told reporters during a news conference.
When the Secret Service officer went to check on the man, he discovered that he was dead, Kane said.
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During their investigation, police discovered surveillance video that shows another man in the homeless community
beating the victim with what appears to be a metal pipe at about 6:30 a.m., Kane said. His body was at the scene for over two hours before the jogger stopped the Secret Service officer.
"A lot of people walking through here at 6:30 in the morning," said one man near the scene later on Wednesday. "Why nobody else ain't seen it?"
Officers found the weapon at the scene, she said.
The exact cause of death is still being investigated, but police said the man who died had sustained multiple trauma injuries to his body. He died across the street from the Washington Monument, in an area surrounded by government buildings and historic landmarks, and steps from Freedom Plaza.
Kane said officers detained the person of interest seen in the video.
Both the person of interest and the victim are known to Secret Service officers who work in the area near the White House, Kane said.
D.C. police are asking anyone with more information to call 202-727-9099.
President Joe Biden left the White House Wednesday morning around the time police were investigating, but the investigation did not "in any way, shape or form affect the departure of the President," according to police.
