WASHINGTON – President Biden has given a relative his first dog, Commander, the White House announced Wednesday following revelations of more brutal attacks on Secret Service agents. That includes a White House tour being canceled to clean up blood from the floor of the East Wing. Another attack left a staffer with “severe, deep open wounds” at Biden’s Delaware vacation home.
The commander’s propensity to bite Secret Service members was first revealed by the Post in July 2023, with internal documents showing at least seven agents were injured. But after the president claimed the agent had lied about the attack, his previous dog, Major, who didn’t immediately part with the German shepherd, also threatened the shelter’s staff and others, so he tried again. I was sent home.
On July 29, just five days after the Post’s exclusive report on the first dog sparked allegations that the president was creating an unsafe workplace, the commander assaulted a staffer at Biden’s Rehoboth Beach retreat. . According to new records First published by journalist John Greenwald and obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.
“[The agent] what voice did you hear [he/she] FLOTUS’ Dr. Jill Biden appears to be shouting.[redacted quote]. ” The commander ran in the direction of the post. [redacted] booth and bit [the agent] On the left forearm [c]”He sustained severe, deep, open wounds,” the incident report states.
“As a result of the attack, [the agent] started to loosen [sic] a significant amount of blood from [redacted pronoun] arm. [The agent] I calmly called for help and left the scene. … [The agent] He received six stitches on his left forearm and antibiotics were administered to the wound. ”
Documents say the agents left their shift after receiving stitches at the scene, but a July 29 email said they were “on their way.” [sic] This time to the hospital. ”
In another newly revealed attack, on June 15, 2023, commanders shot an agent who was walking toward a driveway to help move a parked truck to the East Side, where the first lady’s office is located. I was bitten “inside Kennedy Gardens” adjacent to the wing.
“The video of the incident is [the agent] Enter Kennedy Garden while the commander is out.
I put him on a leash and ran at high speed towards the person who was on the other side of the yard at the time. [the agent and] jump towards [the agent] and take [them] and fell to the ground,” the report states.
Agent “suffered injuries” [their] His left arm (a “deep bite”) reportedly required stitches. ”
“East Wing tours were suspended for approximately 20 minutes due to the bloodshed caused by this incident.”
area of the floor [lobby connecting the East Wing to the White House]” the document says.
President Biden was present in at least one of the newly documented incidents, the bloodiest encounter, in the months prior, making remarks that have been expunged from the record.
A Secret Service employee was “bitten/grabbed on the left forearm” by a commander who held the door open for the president as he entered near the White House’s iconic West Wing Colonnade on October 2, 2022. he wrote in an email.
“The commander first came behind me and grabbed my left arm. Then he stood up and went back down again. He’s literally as tall as I am. POTUS was following behind him, so he immediately The President entered the Palm Room and said:[redacted quote]” the representative wrote, adding that they were evaluated by White House medical staff and that the bites did not break the skin.
“I was shocked when the incident happened.After this, I became concerned about… [Commander] For the safety of others and myself, leave the residence or go out without a leash. ”
In addition to reports of attacks on White House staff, there have been 24 recorded attacks on Secret Service agents by dogs during Biden’s tenure.
The attacks, first revealed by the Post in July this year, varied in severity, with three threatening incidents reported along with seven bites.
In the most serious of those incidents, on Nov. 3, 2022, a uniformed Secret Service agent was seated at the base of a white man’s car after his arms and thighs were squeezed by a commander. He was sent to a Washington, D.C., area hospital for treatment. house stairs.
Other incidents first reported by the newspaper include the president releasing the commander outside the White House after a family movie night on Dec. 11, 2022, and weeks later the commander in chief These included breaking the skin on a Secret Service agent’s hand and arm, and a commander biting the agent in the back. A security technician at Mr. Biden’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, on January 2, 2023.
The White House announced Wednesday that the first family has parted ways with the commander in chief after a series of attacks, including one that bit a Secret Service employee every day for more than a week, as well as their first dog Major, also a German shepherd, in 2021. announced. record.
“The President and the First Lady care deeply about the safety of those who work in the White House and those who protect them every day. We are committed to providing additional dog training, leashes, working with veterinarians, and consulting with animal behaviorists. Yet the White House environment was too harsh for the commander in chief,” said Elizabeth Alexander, press secretary to Jill Biden. “Since the fall, he has been living with another family.”
Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement that the Secret Service “takes the safety and health of our employees extremely seriously, and in many presidential administrations is exploring how best to operate in environments that include family pets.” I have done so,” he said.
“The incident involving the commander was treated as a workplace injury, and the incident was documented in accordance with Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security guidelines. Secret Service personnel do not handle or care for first family pets. However, we continue to work with all applicable organizations to minimize the negative impact of family pets,” Guglielmi said.
“Any questions regarding the status or whereabouts of the first family pet should be directed to the White House Press Office.”
