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Law

2013 Breach At Washington Governor's Mansion More Serious Than First Reported

A security breach at the Washington governor’s mansion on August 7, 2013 was more serious than first reported. Records obtained from the Washington State Patrol reveal the trespasser broke a window before he was arrested at gunpoint.

Security camera images tell the story. At 2:18 a.m. a man in a ball cap was seen climbing over a side gate. The spiky metal points on the top of the gate are no deterrent as he leaped over.

From there, the State Patrol report said the man circled the mansion banging on windows and doors. At the same time, two State Patrol cadets were finishing a sweep of the property. As the trespasser came around to their location he called to them. They put him at gunpoint and handcuffed him.

According to the police report, the man was under the influence of drugs and believed he was being chased. Neither Governor Jay Inslee nor First Lady Trudi Inslee was home that night and there’s no indication the man intended them any harm.

The next day, the mansion coordinator discovered a broken window in the front sitting room. A governor’s spokesman called the incident “disturbing on many levels,” but added the State Patrol “does a great job protecting the family.”

Since that incident it appears the gate has been upgraded to make it harder to scale.

Security image of a man leaping over the east gate to the Washington governor's mansion on August 7, 2013.
/ Washington State Patrol
/
Washington State Patrol
Security image of a man leaping over the east gate to the Washington governor's mansion on August 7, 2013.
Security image of a man leaping over the east gate to the Washington governor's mansion on August 7, 2013.
/ Washington State Patrol
/
Washington State Patrol
Security image of a man leaping over the east gate to the Washington governor's mansion on August 7, 2013.
Security image of a man leaping over the east gate to the Washington governor's mansion on August 7, 2013.
/ Washington State Patrol
/
Washington State Patrol
Security image of a man leaping over the east gate to the Washington governor's mansion on August 7, 2013.
The east gate to the Washington governor's mansion appears to have been upgraded after a 2013 incident when a trespasser easily scaled the gate and banged on windows and doors before he was arrested at gunpoint.
Austin Jenkins / Northwest News Network
/
Northwest News Network
The east gate to the Washington governor's mansion appears to have been upgraded after a 2013 incident when a trespasser easily scaled the gate and banged on windows and doors before he was arrested at gunpoint.

Copyright 2015 Northwest News Network

Law
Since January 2004, Austin Jenkins has been the Olympia-based political reporter for the Northwest News Network. In that position, Austin covers Northwest politics and public policy as well as the Washington State legislature. You can also see Austin on television as host of TVW's (the C–SPAN of Washington State) Emmy-nominated public affairs program "Inside Olympia." Prior to joining the Northwest News Network, Austin worked as a television reporter in Seattle, Portland and Boise. Austin is a graduate of Garfield High School in Seattle and Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut. Austin’s reporting has been recognized with awards from the Association of Capitol Reporters and Editors, Public Radio News Directors Incorporated and the Society of Professional Journalists.
Austin Jenkins
Since January 2004, Austin Jenkins has been the Olympia-based political reporter for the Northwest News Network. In that position, Austin covers Northwest politics and public policy, as well as the Washington State Legislature. You can also see Austin on television as host of TVW's (the C–SPAN of Washington State) Emmy-nominated public affairs program "Inside Olympia."