Man Attacks CIA HQ with Snowplow

I am somewhat surprised that this story didn't get more press than it did, given that any maniac that attempts to climb the White House fence gets national press coverage.

A man drove a pickup with a snowplow into a gate at CIA headquarters in McLean and threatened to detonate a bomb before being taken into custody by shotgun-carrying CIA officers, according to court documents and law enforcement officials.

Antoine Lowery, 30, of the District appeared in U.S. District Court in Alexandria yesterday on a felony charge of making a bomb threat in the Feb. 22 incident. A judge ordered him detained pending a hearing Wednesday. - Washington Post

It gets stranger:

An affidavit said Lowery's speeding white Chevrolet pickup left the George Washington Memorial Parkway onto Dolley Madison Boulevard about 1:55 p.m. and crashed into the gate, causing the metal barrier to swing open. "Due to concerns for the safety of CIA personnel and my own safety," wrote CIA police officer Robert Ellis, "I grabbed a shotgun, aimed the weapon at the driver . . . and gave him strong verbal commands to turn the vehicle off and exit the car."

Lowery left the truck and made a series of threats, including "the truck is going to blow up" and "I have a bomb," Ellis wrote. Lowery also counted down from five several times as if waiting for an explosion, the court papers said. As it turned out, there was no bomb, and the scene was declared safe after the CIA closed the ramps to the parkway. - Washington Post

This guy is lucky to be alive. There was probably any number of ways that this incident would have ended with officials shooting him dead. This is a great credit to the professionalism of those who work protecting the CIA office. One thing I find very strange is that after all this, he was let go and was free a full two weeks until being arrested again on 6 March.

Why would they release him? At least he was ordered held at his court hearing.

At Thursday's hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry Poretz ordered Lowery held pending a preliminary hearing scheduled for Wednesday. Lowery requested the appointment of a public defender.

The charge carries a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison. - DC Examiner

Related:
Mini Protest at the CIA Sunday Morning - 15 Oct 06
Terrorist-Rights Protesters at the CIA - 30 June 07