Family: Vet arrested at White House needs help

Associated Press

MIDLAND, TEXAS

An Iraq war veteran accused of scaling a fence and making it into the White House before the Secret Service stopped him posed no threat to anyone and needs counseling instead of prosecution, members of his family said Sunday. Omar Gonzalez, 42, was arrested Friday and is expected in federal court today to face charges of unlawfully entering a restricted building or grounds while carrying a deadly or dangerous weapon — a small folding knife.

Jerry Murphy, whose mother was married to Gonzalez, said Gonzalez suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and needs treatment, not to be treated like a criminal. He said Gonzalez has been living out of his truck for the past couple of years, and he always carries his knife.

“I know he’s got heavy artillery. ... He’s got all kinds of weapons, and he was trained to use them,” Murphy said. “I believe if he wanted to make a scene or cause problems, he very well could have. But it’s clear that he didn’t.”