U.S. Secret Service

Oregon Man Accused of Assaulting Swiss Ambassador, Illegally Entering His Residence in DC

Handcuffs
Ilkay Dede/EyeEm via Getty Images

An Oregon man has been charged with illegally entering the D.C. residence of Switzerland’s ambassador to the U.S. and assaulting a foreign official.

According to an affidavit, Secret Service officers were dispatched around 2:06 p.m. Monday to Ambassador Jacques Pitteloud's residence on Cathedral Drive Northwest (which is attached to the Switzerland embassy), where a man was inside and refused to leave peacefully.

Christian Mandeville was identified as the suspect in the case.

When officers arrived, Mandeville allegedly tried to run farther into the building. Then, the ambassador tried to stop him.

"The Ambassador put his hands out to stop Mandeville, but Mandeville used his arms to knock away the Ambassador’s arms. Mandeville then used his body to try and push his way past the Ambassador. His actions pushed the Ambassador backward," the court document reads.

The suspect allegedly also fought with the officer who tried to arrest him, and assistance from other officers was required.

Pitteloud later told officers that the suspect had a backpack. It was declared suspicious and "resulted in the temporary closure of the area around the ambassador’s residence until it was appropriately cleared," the affidavit reads.

Mandeville was arrested and charged, but News4 has not yet reached his defense attorney for comment.

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