Washington — A U.S. Secret Service agent assigned to Vice President Kamala Harris exhibited “distressing behavior” Monday morning at Joint Base Andrews and was hospitalized, authorities said. Harris was not present at the air base at the time.
In a statement provided to CBS News, the U.S. Secret Service said that around 9 a.m. local time, the agent “began displaying behavior that his colleagues found distressing. The agent was removed from duty for that medical personnel were summoned.
Two sources briefed on the situation told CBS News that the officer spouted gibberish, spoke incoherently and physically provoked another officer.
According to sources, the agent in question pushed the special agent in charge while they were near the lounge at Joint Base Andrews.
Harris was at the Naval Observatory at the time, the USSS said, and the incident had “no impact on his departure from Joint Base Andrews.” Sources said it happened about an hour before Harris arrived at the air base for a flight to Wisconsin.
The agent was immediately handcuffed and arrested by other Secret Service agents who responded, sources said, and ambulances were called to the scene.
After an initial medical evaluation, the agents were admitted to hospital, according to sources. There was no indication of substance use at this time, they added.
The USSS remains temporarily on hold until more information is available, the sources said. Once the officer receives additional medical treatment and further evaluation, it will be determined if he or she can return to work. An internal review will be conducted and the USSS will evaluate whether the agent’s top secret security clearance will be removed for medical or disciplinary reasons, sources said.
The sources also revealed that at this time this is being treated as a medical incident and not a disciplinary matter, given the nature of the officer’s obvious mental health issues.
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