U.S. Secret Service officers fatally shot a man who smashed windows Wednesday at the Washington, D.C., home of the Peruvian ambassador, District police said.
The name of the man who was killed was not immediately released.
Two Secret Service officers were taken to a hospital for evaluation, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert Contee said at a news conference. Neither the ambassador, Oswaldo de Rivero, nor his family were hurt, Contee and the embassy said.
MPD is investigating in coordination with the Secret Service. A spokesman for the agency said the shooting occurred after a confrontation but did not immediately release details.
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Secret Service officers were called to the home in the 3000 block of Garrison Street NW, in the leafy, quiet Forest Hills neighborhood, just before 8 a.m. for a reported burglary in process. The ambassador’s family heard windows in the rear of the home being smashed, Contee said.
The officers found that a man had smashed “several windows.” He was holding a “metal stake,” Contee said. The officers fired their Tasers at the man, but they did not take effect.
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“Ultimately, the officers ended up pulling their service weapons, firing shots,” Contee said.
The man was pronounced dead on the scene. He appeared to be in his late 20s or 30s, Contee said.
The motive of the break-in wasn’t immediately clear. Police believe the incident was random and was not a direct attack on the ambassador.
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The embassy said in a statement: “The Embassy of Peru regrets to report that today, early in the morning, a person entered the official residence without authorization, causing material damage to the property. Said person was shot by the Secret Service. The ambassador, his family, the residential staff and the Secret Service agents are safe, and the fact is being investigated by the competent authorities.”
Incidents of this type are rare in the neighborhood, the chief said.
The home sits on 10 acres of mostly wooded land surrounded by tall fencing and accessible only through gated entrances.
Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.
