ITHACA, N.Y. –– An Ithaca College student on medical leave for mental health issues breached a security perimeter at the White House in order to speak to the President, resulting in his arrest.
According to court documents, on Monday, Jan. 20, the man has been identified as Bronzert Armayor Pedulla-Smith, who told authorities that he was on a medical leave of absence from school.
He told Secret Service that he wanted to, “tell Trump he is a fascist and to “bring him down in a non-violent way.”
According to a Secret Service spokesperson, “at approximately 5:57 p.m., an individual attempted to drive a motorized scooter through a security checkpoint on E Street, after turning off of 15th Street, NW. Secret Service Uniformed Division officers immediately arrested the individual for Attempted Unlawful Entry and the individual was transported to MPD-2D for processing.”
Pedulla-Smith told the arresting officer and other officers that he traveled from Ithaca, N.Y. to Washington D.C. via Amtrak, and that he is currently on a leave of absence from Ithaca College due to high stress and episodes of mania that he has been dealing with.
Pedulla-Smith also stated that he attended his first outpatient program on the day of the incident at a mental health facility in Ithaca and that he was placed on a “cocktail” of meds to help him with his ADHD and psychosis. He later explained that he was bipolar. A search of Pedulla-Smith’s backpack contained multiple prescription medications.
Pedulla-Smith clarified that he had not taken any medications on the day of the incident, “since he normally takes his medications at night.”
Following his arrest, Pedulla-Smith was uncooperative with officers and was transported to Sibley Hospital in Washington, D.C. While at the hospital, he repeatedly, “hissed at officers, spoke incoherently about fascism, and told officers that he would have another episode if he did not get his medications.”
After receiving medication, it was reported in the court documents that Pedulla-Smith became “quiet and spoke to the officers more coherently.”
He was charged with entering and remaining on grounds without lawful authority.
Pedulla-Smith did not have an attorney listed in the court records.
Editor’s note: an earlier version of this story named medications taken by the accused that were named in federal court documents. These details were removed to protect the privacy of the individual.