White House Lockdown Lifted After Drone Spotted Flying Nearby, Officials Say
Traffic was shut down this afternoon on Pennsylvania Avenue.
— -- The White House was briefly placed on lockdown this afternoon after a man allegedly tried to fly a drone near the building, authorities said.
The Secret Service detained Ryan MacDonald for flying a small unmanned aerial vehicle approximately 110 feet above Lafayette Park, they said in a statement. He complied with the Secret Service officer's order to land the drone.
The drone never crossed the north fence line of the White House, officials added. It was later swept and declared safe by the Metropolitan Police Department.
Traffic was shutdown on Pennsylvania Avenue due to what the White House would only call a “security situation."
MacDonald, 39, of Vacaville, California, was cited and issued a date to appear in court, said United States Park Police, who took custody of him after he was detained by the Secret Service.
ABC News' Devin Dwyer and Dee Carden contributed to this report.
