WASHINGTON — The man who wrapped himself in the American flag and jumped the spike-reinforced White House fence on Thanksgiving Day has been sent for emergency psychiatric care.
At the first court appearance for 23-year-old old Joseph Caputo of Stamford, Connecticut, a judge determined Friday that Caputo should receive a mental evaluation while he remains in the custody of the Secret Service. He was ordered transferred to the psychiatric emergency program at St. Elizabeths Hospital in Southeast D.C.
President Barack Obama and his family were having Thanksgiving dinner inside the White House, when an eyewitness on Pennsylvania Avenue heard Caputo heave a sigh and say, “All right let’s do this,” before he leapt the north fence.
Court documents say Caputo left a suicide note at a Virginia location where he had been staying with friends since Monday.
The documents also indicate Caputo was carrying a pocket-size copy of the U.S. Constitution, weight lifting gloves and a flash drive emblazoned with the Captain America shield.
This past summer, the Secret Service added rows of approximately 6-inch steel spikes to the top of the fence along Pennsylvania Avenue to discourage fence jumping.
Court documents say Caputo scaled the fence and dropped onto the North Lawn. Agents ordered him to the ground and he complied.
His next court appearance is set for Monday.
