A White House staffer was arrested Friday on charges of assault and reckless endangerment after allegedly threatening and shooting at a Capitol Hill police officer with whom she had been having sex, according to arrest records.
Barvetta Singletary, a special assistant to the President and House legislative affairs liaison, has been placed on unpaid leave and had her access to the White House revoked, a White House spokesperson told CNN on Monday.
Singletary was released Monday from jail in Prince George’s County, Maryland, after posting a $75,000 bond, according to spokesman John Erzen of Maryland’s state’s attorney’s office.
The incident began early Friday morning after Singletary texted the officer “asking him to come to her residence…for sexual intercourse,” according to charging documents, which classified the incident as domestic violence.
After “a brief sexual encounter,” Singletary began asking the officer about another woman he was dating and tried to access his cell phones.
Singletary then grabbed the officer’s service weapon from a bag and pointed it at him, before firing one round toward him, documents say.
“You taught me how to use this, don’t think I won’t use it,” Singletary allegedly said before firing one round, according to the police report. She then allegedly wiped down the gun with a towel.
The Capitol Hill police officer then fled Singletary’s home and called 911, after which Prince George’s county officers arrived at the scene and arrested Singletary.
Singletary previously served as deputy chief of staff to Assistant Minority Leader James Clyburn before moving to the White House in 2014, where she made $125,000 annually, according to public records.
“We are aware of the matter and have temporarily placed the employee in question on unpaid leave and revoked her access to the complex until we have more information. We will take additional actions as needed,” a White House spokesperson said Monday in a statement.
U.S. Capitol Police spokeswoman Kimberley Schneider said the department is “investigating the matter.”
“Department employees are held to a high standard of conduct and the matter will receive a thorough review consistent with our policies and procedures,” Schneider said.