U.S. Secret Service officers fatally shot an intruder at the Peruvian ambassador's residence after a confrontation on Wednesday morning following an apparent break-in attempt, authorities said.
The ambassador and his family were at home at the time but were not injured, Washington Police Chief Robert Contee told reporters.
The intruder, a man in his 20s or 30s, smashed several windows at the residence and was carrying a metal stake, Contee said. Officers initially tried to stop him with Tasers but when that did not take effect, they began firing shots, he said.
It was unclear whether the person knew the home belonged to a foreign diplomat.
Violence at embassies is rare in Washington.
"We don't see these types of incidents around here," Contee said. "This is totally out of the ordinary."
Officers with the Secret Service's Uniformed Division protect more than 500 foreign diplomatic missions in the U.S. capital.
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