A Secret Service agent confronted and fired shots at suspected car thieves outside Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s Washington home early Tuesday morning, marking the latest security incident involving federal officials’ protection details.
The incident occurred at 1:30 a.m. when an agent observed multiple suspects in a sedan attempting to open parked cars along the 2900 block of Stephenson Place NW.
“As the sedan approached the agent, a confrontation occurred between the agent and the car’s occupants,” USSS Chief Communications Officer Anthony Guglielmi said.
The suspects fled after the agent discharged their weapon.
“There is currently no evidence to indicate anyone was struck,” Guglielmi said.
The Metropolitan Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division is investigating.
The incident follows a similar July confrontation where U.S. Marshals shot an armed 18-year-old attempting to carjack an agent outside Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s residence. While DC car thefts have decreased 15% over the past year, they remain a significant concern.
Officials said it was unclear if Yellen was home during the incident.
“There was no threat to any protectees and no protectees were harmed,” Guglielmi confirmed.