The Secret Service lied again! Remember that fence jumper?

[Raine1967]

You know the one that made it to the portico un-armed until we found out he was armed with a knife? Well this is stunning to me.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/white-house-fence-jumper-made-it-far-deeper-into-building-than-previously-known/2014/09/29/02efd53e-47ea-11e4-a046-120a8a855cca_story.html

The man who jumped the White House fence this month and sprinted through the front door made it much farther into the building than previously known, overpowering one Secret Service officer and running through much of the main floor, according to three people familiar with the incident.

An alarm box near the front entrance of the White House designed to alert guards to an intruder had been muted at what officers believed was a request of the usher’s office, said a Secret Service official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The officer posted inside the front door appeared to be delayed in learning that the intruder, Omar Gonzalez, was about to burst through. Officers are trained that, upon learning of an intruder on the grounds, often through the alarm boxes posted around the property, they must immediately lock the front door.

After barreling past the guard immediately inside the door, Gonzalez, who was carrying a knife, dashed past the stairway leading a half-flight up to the first family’s living quarters. He then ran into the 80-foot-long East Room, an ornate space often used for receptions or presidential addresses.

What the hell is going on here? (seriously, read the entire article.)

ETA: Here is the kicker, and why I just do not believe the Secret service anon sources at this point:

Chaffetz said he plans to ask Pierson how an alarm meant to alert officers to intruders could be silenced or turned down. The congressman said two people inside the agency told him that boxes were silenced because the White House usher staff, whose office is near the front door, complained they were noisy. A Secret Service official told The Post that the usher’s office was concerned the boxes were frequently malfunctioning and unnecessarily sounding off.

[louis-t]

1. You can say "armed with a knife" but

he wasn't brandishing it. His son or nephew said he always carries that knife. He's had it for many years, blah, blah... I used to have a small knife on my keychain until the first time I had to fly after 9/11.

[Raine1967]

3. Not for nothing, we were also told he only made it to the Portico.

The man gained entry to the White house with a knife. I don;t care if it was a butter knife or a damn spork. I see you point in general, but this is a terrible lack of security.

[CJCRANE]

2. What is the usher

and why did they mute the alarm?

[Raine1967]

4. I edited my post to add the contradiction about that in the story.

If you read the early story about shots hitting the White house this week, they explained that position a little more. here is that article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/secret-service-stumbled-after-gunman-hit-white-house-residence-in-2011/2014/09/27/d176b6ac-442a-11e4-b437-1a7368204804_story.html

[CJCRANE]

5. Thanks. Interesting read. nt

[rsmith6621]

6. The Jumper Should Be...

...charged with attempted assassination and some of those government employees who failed to do their jobs should be fired.

Those government employees put our country at risk.