Swiss ambassador to US allegedly assaulted by intruder at Washington DC residence

Christian David Mandeville allegedly ‘jumped the exterior security fence of the Embassy grounds’

An intruder has been arrested by the Secret Service after allegedly assaulting the Swiss Ambassador to the United States at his Washington, DC, residence.

An “unwanted guest” was reported at around 2am on Monday in the home of ambassador Jacques Pitteloud, which is attached to the Swiss Embassy, a according to court documents filed on Tuesday.

The individual, identified in the documents as Christian David Mandeville from Portland, Oregon, had allegedly refused to leave the premises after being found by staff members.

After a Secret Service agent arrived at the embassy, both he and the ambassador entered the home, quickly finding Mr Mandeville.

The suspect allegedly then “attempted to run farther into the building,” but as the ambassador tried to block his path, Mr Mandeville is accused of pushing the Swiss ambassador.

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“The Ambassador put his hands out to stop Mandeville, but Mandeville used his arms to knock away the Ambassador’s arms,” the Secret Service agent said in the court documents on Tuesday.

“Mandeville then used his body to try and push his way past the Ambassador. His actions pushed the Ambassador backward,” the agent added.

However, the agent said that he was able to tackle the suspect to the ground and bring him into custody not long after Mr Pitteloud was allegedly pushed.

The agent said that he “sustained abrasions on (his) forearm from the altercation,” while the ambassador was not injured in the incident.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Swiss Embassy said that after Mr Mandeville was originally denied entry to the ambassador’s residence earlier in the day, “he jumped the exterior security fence of the Embassy grounds” before entering the property.

The area around the embassy and residence was temporarily closed while the authorities investigated a backpack that Mr Mandeville left outside the gates of the home. It was cleared after the bag and its contents were deemed safe.

The Swiss Embassy thanked the “US Secret Service and Metropolitan Police Department for their quick response,” in its statement on Tuesday.

Mr Mandeville was subsequently charged with assault on a foreign official, resisting arrest and unlawful entry.