Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, May 25, 1995 TAG: 9505250101
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Long
Leland William Modjeski, recently fired as a pizza delivery man, faces assault and firearms charges after he was apprehended less than 50 yards from the executive mansion late Tuesday.
Federal prosecutor Eric Dubelier said there was ``some indication of a mental history.'' He did not elaborate, but an investigator speaking on condition of anonymity said Modjeski's wife had been concerned about his mental stability.
Two other law enforcement officials said investigators suspect Modjeski wanted to draw police fire. Officials stressed that the investigation was in its early stages, and a motive had not been firmly established.
``If you want to go out in a blaze of glory, there are few better ways to do it than on the White House lawn,'' said John Monahan, a psychologist at the University of Virginia Law School.
Modjeski was not charged with attempted assassination, but officials did not rule out future charges. ``We have to figure out why he did what he did,'' Dubelier said.
FBI spokeswoman Susan Lloyd said, ``At this time, there is nothing to indicate it was an attempted assassination.''
Modjeski had earned a master's degree in psychology three years ago and had been admitted to the psychology doctoral program at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., near his home in Falls Church.
Neighbors expressed astonishment on the cul-de-sac where Modjeski and his wife, Rose Mary, lived in a brick town house. Professors remembered him as a strong candidate for a doctorate who never posed any problems.
Eric Dubelier, the prosecutor who filed charges against Modjeski on Wednesday, told a magistrate that Modjeski had ``some indication of a mental history.''
Authorities said Modjeski was armed with an unloaded revolver when he climbed over a wrought-iron fence at the southeast corner of the presidential home.
He was charged Wednesday with assaulting a federal agent and a weapons violation.
The late-night intrusion was the latest in a string of security breaches that prompted federal officials to shut down Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House last weekend.
``Just another day at the White House,'' presidential spokesman Mike McCurry quoted Clinton as saying.
Some law enforcement and behavioral experts speculated that the heightened focus on security has increased the mansion's allure for mentally disturbed individuals. Federal investigators were examining the possibility that Modjeski is mentally disturbed and climbed the White House fence expecting to be shot.
The .38-caliber bullet fired by Officer David Levine tore through Modjeski's upper arm and entered the left arm of Secret Service uniformed agent Scott Giambattista, who had been trying to restrain the intruder, law enforcement officials said.
Both men were in good condition Wednesday at George Washington University Medical Center.
Washington station WUSA-TV reported that Modjeski's wife, Rose Mary, told authorities after the shooting that she had tried to have her husband committed to a mental institution as recently as Monday.
The Modjeskis had no children, neighbors said, and kept to themselves. They lived in a tidy two-story brick town house with a red maple tree out front, 10 miles west of Washington.
But Eric Dubelier, the prosecutor who filed charges against Modjeski, told a magistrate the Modjeski had ``some indication of a mental history.''
The incident occurred just a few days after President Clinton closed Pennsylvania Avenue to traffic out of concern over the executive mansion's vulnerability to a truck bomb.
Police said Modjeski, wearing business attire, climbed a 10-foot, wrought-iron fence, setting off security alarms.
Giambattista noticed the suspect and approached him near where a limousine had dropped off President Clinton half an hour earlier.
According to a Secret Service affidavit, Modjeski was holding a gun. Levine ordered him to drop the weapon. ``When Modjeski did not comply with Officer Levine's command, Modjeski was shot one time,'' the affidavit said.
Two law enforcement officials said Modjeski responded to the order to drop his gun by uttering an expletive at Levine. Investigators believe Modjeski may have been daring the officer to fire, the officials said.
``He wanted to be a cop-shot,'' one of the officials said.
Estimates varied, but officials agreed Modjeski was 30 yards to 50 yards from the executive mansion when he was shot. They said the shooting occurred on a grassy area between the first lady's garden and the circular drive behind the White House.
Modjeski and Giambattista were expected to recover, although Modjeski may suffer minor nerve damage. Both were expected to remain a few days in George Washington University Hospital.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram contributed information to this story.
The latest breach of the White House left officials defensive about a security net toughened to historic levels with the weekend closing of Pennsylvania Avenue.
Clinton shrugged off the incident. ``Just another day at the White House,'' spokesman Mike McCurry quoted him as saying.
The president went for a morning jog at a nearby military base and called to thank the wounded agent.
Prosecutors charged Modjeski with felony counts of forcibly assaulting a federal officer and interstate transportation of a firearm with intent to commit a felony.
Each charge carries a potential penalty of up 10 years in prison.
Neighbors in Modjeski's quiet neighborhood said they knew little about the man who had lived in the area for several years. His wife, Rose Mary, was interviewed by investigators but not held.
Modjeski was fired in November by a suburban Virginia Pizza Hut after less than five months on the job. His supervisor declined to give the reason for the firing.
Security measures have been ratcheted up at the White House in reaction to a string of violent attacks on it the past eight months.
Foot patrols by federal officers were increased after a gunman sprayed the White House with bullets in October. A drunken pilot crashed his plane on the South Lawn in September in what police concluded was a suicide.
Administration officials said the shooting will not lead to another round of security changes.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram contributed information to this story.
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by CNB