Man arrested for finger gun gesture at White House troops

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 5 Nov, 17:40 · Archive

A 28-year-old man was arrested near the White House after making a finger gun gesture at National Guard troops.

William Clark, 28, was arrested after allegedly making a 'finger gun' gesture towards a National Guard service member near the White House on Monday evening. According to court documents, he was holding a cell phone in one hand while making a shooting gesture with the other. The incident occurred at 15th and E streets NW at around 5.20pm local time.

Clark was detained by National Guard members until D.C. police arrived. He was charged with threats in a menacing manner, a misdemeanour charge. Under D.C. law, a conviction carries a maximum penalty of 180 days in prison or a $1,000 fine. Court documents also reference assault on a police officer, though one outlet's filing examined by The Hill showed no separate charge for that offence appeared.

Clark pleaded not guilty. His arrest comes amid what The Mirror describes as hostilities between locals and the National Guard. The National Guard has been deployed in the US capital for more than a year. Local officials have said the deployment is unnecessary, costly and lacking a clear strategy, though President Donald Trump has argued the Guard has significantly reduced crime in the capital.

How it is being reported

• Man arrested near White House for making ‘finger gun’ gesture to troopsThe man was arrested after holding his phone in one hand while performing the ‘shooting gun gesture’ with the otherIndependent World · 5 Nov, 17:19
• Man arrested after pointing 'finger gun' at troops near White House as tensions riseThe 28-year-old was arrested for "threats in a menacing manner" and according to D.C. law, the charge carries a maximum sentence of up to 180 days in prison or an $1,000 fineThe Mirror · 4 Nov, 23:49

In this story: William Clark · National Guard · White House · Washington DC · Donald Trump

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log