Washington, D.C. – On Friday at approximately 9:24 a.m., a male subject approached a
U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division Officer on patrol along the north side of
Pennsylvania Avenue near Lafayette Park. The individual stated that he had “dropped
explosives” in the area.
The subject was immediately taken into custody by the officer and all pedestrian and
vehicular traffic was cleared from the area.
Secret Service K-9 and MPD EOD teams were dispatched and swept both the individual
and the surrounding areas. A cellular phone dropped by the subject was also located and
swept by K-9 and EOD.
No explosives were detected and the incident was deemed clear at 10:23 a.m.
Ervin Pettaway, 33, of Washington, D.C., was charged with one count of felony threats
and transported to MPD Second District for further processing.
