White House Staffer Shoots at Capitol Police Officer in Lover's Quarrel, Police Say

The White House has placed staffer on administrative leave, revoked access

ByABC News
August 10, 2015, 7:28 PM

— -- A White House staffer is facing assault charges after shooting at a Capitol Police officer using the cop's own gun after a lover's quarrel, police said.

The White House has placed Barvetta Singletary, a special assistant to the president and the House legislative affairs liaison, on "unpaid leave and revoked her access to the complex until we have more information," a White House spokesperson told ABC News.

According to a charging statement from the District Court of Maryland for Prince George’s County, Singletary texted the Capitol Police officer around 2:30 a.m. Friday inviting him to her Upper Marlboro, Maryland residence for sex.

After he arrived at her home, they “engaged in a brief sexual encounter” at which point Singletary started questioning him about another woman he was dating, the documents said.

Singletary's relationship with the officer was not clear.

According to the document, when he refused to answer the questions, Singletary asked him to step outside the home and the two walked to his Cadillac Escalade. Singletary then entered the car and asked where the officer's cellphones were. When he didn’t answer, she reached into his bag and picked up his phones and a .40 caliber Glock 23 service weapon, the documents say.

She then ran into the house with the gun, and he followed her in. After he refused to give her his cellphone passwords, she allegedly pointed the Glock handgun at him and said, “You taught me how to use this, dont think I wont use it.” The charging statement says she then racked the gun.

According to the document, at a later point, she asked him for the password to his phones again. When he refused, she asked him, “Your phone is more important than me holding this gun on you?”

Singletary then allegedly pointed the gun at him as he sat on a couch 10 feet away and fired one round in his direction, the document said.

The officer, who was not hit, then gathered his belongings, fled the home and called police.

The U.S. Capitol Police, which employs the victim, said it is investigating the situation.

“We are investigating the matter mindful of the underlying criminal investigation. Department employees are held to a high standard of conduct and the matter will receive a thorough review consistent with our policies and procedures,” Capitol Police told ABC News in a statement.

Singletary formerly served as deputy chief of staff to Rep. James Clyburn, D-South Carolina.

Singletary could not be reached for comment and was set to have a preliminary hearing on Sept. 2.

ABC News' Ben Siegel and Ali Weinberg contributed to this report.