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A US Secret Service shield sign at the service’s headquarters in Washington, DC.
Washington
CNN
—
A US Secret Service agent on President Joe Biden’s granddaughter Naomi Biden’s security detail fired at people who tried to break into a US government vehicle in Georgetown, CNN has learned.
“On November 12 at approximately 11:58 p.m. in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, DC, Secret Service agents encountered possibly three individuals smashing a window on a parked and unoccupied government vehicle,” Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a declaration.
He added: “During this encounter, a federal agent fired a service weapon and it is believed that no one was hit. The perpetrators immediately fled the scene in a red vehicle and a regional lookout was dispatched for support units.” There was “no threat” to any of the Secret Service’s proteges, Guglielmi said.
A source familiar with the matter confirmed to CNN that the agent involved was assigned to Naomi Biden’s detail. First Lady Jill Biden’s office declined to comment on the matter.
The incident was first reported by the Associated Press.
Guglielmi said the incident is being investigated by the DC Metropolitan Police Department and the Secret Service.
“The officer-involved shooting incident remains under investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department Internal Affairs Division’s Force Investigation Team, which investigates all law enforcement involved shootings in the District of Columbia,” DC police said in a statement. “The facts and evidence in the case will be independently reviewed by the United States Attorney’s Office.”
The incident comes amid an increase in crime in Washington, DC. Motor vehicle theft has increased by 98% over the past year, according to DC police statistics.
This story has been updated with additional details.
CNN’s Arlette Saenz contributed to this report.