The US Secret Service reportedly shot an intruder at the home of the Peruvian ambassador to the United States, law enforcement officials said.
The shooting occurred in the Forest Hills neighborhood in the northwest of Washington DC.
The Secret Service said officers shot the intruder "following a confrontation" at the ambassador's home. No other details were provided to The Associated Press.
Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert Contee told reporters that the agents initially tried to use Tasers on the intruder, who they claim was carrying a “metal stake.”
“They encountered this person, they pulled their less-than-lethal service weapons, their Tasers,” Mr Contee said. “The officers fired those Tasers, they did not take effect and … ultimately the officers pulled their service weapons, firing shots and this person is now deceased.”
He said police were still determining the intruder’s identity.
“We don’t know who this individual is,” he said. “We don’t know why this person was on the ambassador’s residential property, we don’t know why this person smashed out several windows, we don’t know why this person had a double stake, we don’t know why this person approached the officers with that double stake, but we’re investigating that now.”
The Secret Service said none of its officers were injured. Embassies and diplomatic residences in the US are protected by Secret Service agents.
Police said the ambassador’s family called the police after hearing the sound of windows breaking. No one living at the residence was hurt.
Peru’s embassy acknowledged the incident on Twitter and confirmed that the ambassador, his family and the Secret Service agents were safe.
“The Ambassador, his family, the Residential staff, and the Secret Service agents are safe, and the fact is being investigated by the competent authorities,” the embassy tweeted.
No clear motive has been established and it is currently unknown if the intruder had any connection to the embassy or the ambassador.
