An armed security guard claims he came within a few feet of former President Barack Obama on Saturday in what he described as a clear “security lapse” by the Secret Service.
The man told his story to TMZ but declined to be identified. He explained that he approached a black SUV with government tags in an alleyway next to a ritzy Los Angeles restaurant as part of his own job as hired security for a bar mitzvah taking place above the eatery.
The security guard said he assumed the vehicle was carrying a dignitary, but had no clue it was Obama inside until he got close enough to the rear-passenger side to see the ex-president working on a laptop.
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The man said he “panicked” at the sight of Obama, realizing he could be shot if the Secret Service spotted his gun. He claims he quickly retreated and said hello to Secret Service agents as he left the area.
Those agents were described as appearing “startled” to see him come from the area near the SUV, the man told TMZ. About 3o minutes later, he said agents approached his boss and asked that he hand over his gun and credentials that proved he had a license to carry a concealed weapon.
The security guard said his credentials checked out and the night carried on as if nothing happened.
The Secret Service claimed in a statement to TMZ that none of its “protectees” were in the SUV when the armed guard approached it and snapped a photo of the vehicle.
Another eye-witness refuted the agency’s claim to TMZ, telling the tabloid site that someone was indeed inside the SUV.
Barack Obama had dinner with his daughters, Sasha and Malia, after the armed security guard came close to his SUV.
ReutersTMZ reported that Obama eventually dined that night at the highly-acclaimed Italian restaurant Mother Wolf with his daughters Malia and Sasha.
While nobody was harmed as a result of the encounter, it again called into question the Secret Service’s protection of top U.S. officials—just weeks after a pair of attempts on Donald Trump’s life.
A Senate report released this week detailed the agency’s failures at a July 13 rally, during which Trump was shot in the ear and another man was killed by a gunman on a nearby rooftop that agents failed to secure in advance of the former president’s appearance.
The Secret Service came out looking a little better earlier this month when agents confronted and chased off another gunman allegedly camped out for several hours on the outskirts of Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida.
