Black Man Shot Outside White House By Secret Service Office Was Merely Holding A Black Comb

Earlier in August, a Secret Service officer had shot a Black man, Myron Berryman, outside the White House believing him to be armed and posing a threat to the President. But as per an affidavit filed on August 26, the man had been holding a black comb which the officer mistook for a gun.

Berryman was called to appear in the court on August 27 on the charge of simple assault of a law enforcement officer. But as he was shot in the torso on August 10 by the officer, the 51-year-old, is still recovering from his injury in a psychiatric hospital and hence could not appear in Washington, DC, Superior Court, as per his attorney Daniel K. Dorsey.

If the misdemeanour charge against Berryman is proven, he will be convicted and may face up to six months in jail and a fine of $1,000. Dorsey has filed a not guilty plea on Berryman's behalf against the misdemeanour charge as surveillance cameras showed that the object which fell out of Berryman's hand was a black comb.

At the time of the incident, President Donald Trump was conducting a media briefing and immediately whisked away from the area by his security as a safety precaution. But after the shooting, the officials revealed that the White House complex was not breached "and no Secret Service protectees were ever in danger.” Two enforcement officers also shared that Berryman was unarmed during the incident.

But as per court documents under the charge, it has been mentioned that Berryman approached an unidentified officer, told him that he is armed, and walked away. He then turned around and rushed in the officer’s direction. According to the court documents, he was reaching to his right side "as if to retrieve an object” after which he allegedly took a "shooting stance", prompting the officer to open fire.

The court documents also claim that Berryman told police from his hospital bed he had been released from a psychiatric hospital three days before he was shot and suffers from schizophrenia.

An investigation has been launched by the Secret Service and Berryman has been ordered to stay away from the White House and the officer who shot him. His hearing has been shifted to take place on January 28, 2021, after he goes through a psychiatric evaluation.