The White House was put on lockdown this afternoon after a man on a mobility scooter set himself on fire outside the North Lawn.
Pictures show the secret service and law enforcement swooping to arrest him.
The man lit his jacket on fire while he was wearing it after arriving on the scooter this afternoon.
An official said the fire was extinguished and the man was given first aid around 3pm, and then transported to a local hospital.
NBC Washington reports a suspicious package was also found near the suspect, who is understood to have mental health issues.
D.C. Fire was investigating the suspicious package.
President Trump was in the White House at the time but was not in danger.
The incident occurred shortly after Trump spoke in the Roosevelt Room about the nation’s 5G network and the smoke could reportedly be smelled in the West Wing.
The secret service cleared the North Lawn, Lafayette Square and the sidewalk in front of the White House.
The media were asked to stay in the West Wing.
The secret service said they responded to a ‘police/medical incident’ and four uniformed officers were seen carrying the suspect away from the scene face-down.
ALERT: Secret Service personnel are responding to a police/medical incident on Pennsylvania Ave. along the @WhiteHouse North Fence Line.
— U.S. Secret Service (@SecretService) April 12, 2019
UPDATE: A male subject operating an electronic wheelchair-type scooter lit his outer jacket on fire while sitting along Pennsylvania Ave. outside the North Fence Line. Uniformed Division Officers immediately responded, extinguished the fire and rendered first aid.
— U.S. Secret Service (@SecretService) April 12, 2019
UPDATE: The male subject has been transported to a local hospital with what appears to be non-life threatening injuries.
— U.S. Secret Service (@SecretService) April 12, 2019
Daniel Kingery, a 57-year-old voter rights activist, said the man was holding up his burning jacket and recording the incident, which appeared to be a demonstration.
‘He wasn’t obeying their order to put it down, so it was definitely some sort of a protest,’ Kingery said.
The Secret Service closed Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House to pedestrian traffic, and a nearby block of 17th Street was closed as well.
At least portions of the White House complex were locked down for about an hour.