White House staffer Barvetta Singletary was charged with domestic violence after she threatened her boyfriend, a U.S. Capitol Police officer, by shooting his own service weapon at him, NBC Washington reported Monday.
After Singletary’s boyfriend visited her Upper Marlboro home Friday, the White House staffer confronted the agent about another woman he was seeing. When the victim refused to turn over his cell phones to Singletary, she grabbed his .40 caliber Glock 23 and both phones.
Singletary demanded her boyfriend, whose police unit has been criticized over reckless weapons handling, give her his cellphone passwords. When he refused, Singletary pointed the gun towards him and said, "Your phone is more important than me holding the gun on you."
The Special Assistant to the President and House Legislative Affairs Liaison fired a round in the direction of the victim. After she shot the weapon, the police officer ran out of the house and called 911. She was arrested at the scene shortly after.
The former 15-year aide to Rep. James Clyburn (D., S.C.) was charged with first- and second-degree assault charges, as well as one count of reckless endangerment. Singletary has been placed on unpaid leave from the White House.
President Obama cited a lack of "common sense" gun control laws as the most frustrating area of his presidency.