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Missing Brandon man arrested outside White House

For Immediate Release : Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office
Release Number: 20-043

Date

Saturday February 8, 2020 12:00 PM

Location

The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20500

A Brandon man reported missing was arrested outside the White House on Saturdayafternoon after making a threat against the president of the United States.
 
On Saturday, February 8, a relative of Roger Charles Hedgpeth II, 25, contacted the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office to report that Hedgpeth had left his home in Brandon on February 2 at approximately 4:30 p.m. and had not been seen since leaving.
 
The relative said on February 5, Hedgpeth called demanding the return of his firearm, which the relative had previously locked up due to concerns over his mental health and Hedgpeth's decision to stop going to recieve mental health treatment in November.
 
HCSO detectives determined on Saturday that Hedgpeth’s credit card was charged at a Waffle House in Hagerstown, Maryland and a Sheetz in Morgantown, West Virginia, despite Hedgpeth having no family or friends in those area, according to his relative.
 
Hedgpeth was entered into FCIC/NCIC as a Missing Person-Endangered Adult. Upon entering Hedgpeth into the system, HCSO was contacted by the U.S. Secret Service to advise Hedgpeth was arrested outside the White House the same day.
 
According to the Secret Service, Hedgpeth had approached a Secret Service officer on patrol outside the White House and said he was there to assassinate President Donald Trump. Officers found a knife in his possession. Hedgpeth was taken into custody by the Secret Service and transported to a hospital for a mental health evaluation. 
 
“It took great courage for Roger Hedgpeth’s relative to reach out to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and report his erratic behavior. The decision to speak out likely prevented him from harming others,” said Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister. “Mental illness is something that doesn’t just affect the person diagnosed. It affects an entire family. I hope that Roger Hedgpeth can get the help he needs, and I am grateful for our working partnership with the Secret Service that allowed us to quickly locate and take this individual into custody before he could do harm.”