Chester Plummer (1945 – July 25, 1976) was a taxi driver in the Washington, D.C. area of the United States who attempted to invade the White House.
Chester Plummer | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1945 |
| Died | (aged 30) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Taxi driver |
| Known for | Attempting to invade the White House |
Plummer was one of nine children and played football in high school in Washington, D.C.[1]
At about 9:30 at night on July 25, 1976, Plummer scaled the White House fence, armed with a piece of pipe. [2] [3] While advancing towards the White House, he was ordered to stop by a Secret Service officer. After ignoring the order,[4] he was shot by a rookie officer,[5] and died 90 minutes later in hospital.[1] He was the first known shooting victim on White House grounds.[6] It is unknown whether Plummer intended to attack President Gerald Ford or had another motive.[7]
Plummer was a decorated Army veteran and former high school football star[8] who had recently undergone a divorce and a separation from another relationship. He was on one year's probation for an indecent exposure charge at the time of his death[9] and a psychiatrist had posited he had impulsivity issues stemming from marital problems.[1] His father had also pressed assault charges against him[8] in 1972 and then dropped them.[1] His employer said he was "apolitical" and "quiet".[10] Co-workers described him as "nice" and "quiet" and one of them felt Chester Plummer may have been looking for a way to commit suicide.[1] His father said he felt favorably toward President Ford.[1] His was the fifth major intrusion onto White House grounds during Ford's presidency.[1] President Ford was in the White House at the time Plummer was shot.[11]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g White House Intruder 'Inclined to Act Impulsively' Lakeland Ledger, July 27, 1976
- ^ "Man Killed at White House; Scaled Fence and Went On", The New York Times, July 26, 1976, p. 12
- ^ U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News Publishing Corporation. 1976.
- ^ Philip H. Melanson (2005). The Secret Service: The Hidden History of an Enigmatic Agency. Basic Books. pp. 139–. ISBN 978-0-7867-1617-3.
- ^ Dead Intruder Had History of Rash Behavior, The Miami News, July 27, 1976, p. 3A,
- ^ Perlstein, Rick, Culture of Fear: Miriam Carey’s Tragedy, and Our Own, The Nation, October 4, 2013, accessed October 6, 2013
- ^ "Vanderbilt Television News Archive - Plummer/White House Shooting".
- ^ a b Black Cab Driver Killed as White House Intruder. Johnson Publishing Company. 12 August 1976. pp. 5–. ISSN 0021-5996.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - ^ Public Report of the White House Security Review. Department of the Treasury. 1 January 1995. ISBN 978-0-16-048388-2.
- ^ Chester Plummer is shot by White House Security Guard Archived 2015-06-10 at the Wayback Machine, NBC-news archives
- ^ White House Intruder Gunned Down, The Age, July 27, 1976
See also
edit- Guard Kills Intruder on White House Lawn, The Miami News, July 26, 1976.
- Intruder's Motive Still a Mystery[permanent dead link], The Palm Beach Post, July 27, 1976.
- Nice Guy Killed at White House, The Evening Independent, July 26, 1976.