Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Gunman 'threatened Trump' after being caught speeding at 130mph to White House

Eric Leonardo Charron told police he had tampered with car fuses 'to keep the CIA from listening to him through the radio'

Chris Riotta
New York
Friday 29 March 2019 13:26 EDT
Comments
Trump claims to 'know a lot about wind' in bizarre rant about Hillary Clinton at rally

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A driver threatened Donald Trump after being caught speeding towards the White House with a firearm, bullets and gunpowder, police have said.

Eric Leonardo Charron of Kansas City, Missouri, appeared in court on Thursday charged with reckless driving and being a prohibited person in possession of a gun.

West Virginia state police said the 42-year-old was speeding at 130mph (209kph) on Interstate 68 when he was pulled over near Bruceton Mills on Wednesday.

An officer said in a criminal complaint that Mr Charron claimed to be running late to a dinner with the president and also wanted “to meet with the leader of the Army to return a phone.”

Police found a handgun, 300 rounds of ammunition and gunpowder after searching his car.

Asked why his vehicle's remote key would not open the boot, Mr Charron told police he had tampered with the fuses in an effort to "keep the CIA from listening to him through the radio."

Police said Mr Charron appeared confused and made concerning comments, including threats to kill Mr Trump and blow up the Pentagon, according to local TV network WCHS.

Sniffers dogs indicated the presence of explosives in his car, but none were found during the search.

Interstate 68 was closed for about four hours officers investigated. The FBI and the Secret Service were also notified.

Mr Charron admitted using methamphetamine recently and his pupils were dilated despite bright conditions outside, police said.

He had driven through the night from his hometown but did not have any luggage, according to authorities.

The court ordered to be remanded in custody to await the next hearing on $10,000 (£7,670) cash bond, unless Mr Trump personally signs him out.

Associated Press contributed to this report

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in