White House Fence Jumper’s Arraignment Delayed Over Mental-Health Concerns

The indictment of Omar Gonzalez — the man who jumped the White House fence last month — was delayed on Tuesday, after a judge ruled that his mental competence to stand trial remained uncertain.

U.S. District Judge Rosemary Collyer made the decision after an earlier mental-health screening raised a few red flags, the Associated Press reported. Collyer ordered a full mental-health competency evaluation before Gonzalez is allowed to stand trial, a process that will likely delay the case by at least a few weeks.

Gonzalez is facing charges that include assault and unlawful possession of weapons after he reportedly scaled the fence of the White House’s North Lawn in mid-September, wielding a knife and assaulting two Secret Service agents. A subsequent search of his car revealed hundreds of rounds of ammunition, a hatchet and a machete.

Gonzalez apparently told a Secret Service agent after he was apprehended that he was concerned the atmosphere was collapsing and needed to inform the President.