Chester County DA: Justice Center Attacker Jumped White House Fence In March

The man who attacked a Chester County sheriff’s deputy with a knife inside the county Justice Center today has been confirmed dead from gunshot wounds, according to the Chester County District Attorney’s Office.

District Attorney Tom Hogan has also confirmed that the attacker, 34-year-old Curtis Smith, of Coatesville, had previously been arrested by the Secret Service in March for jumping the fence at the White House.

“In Chester County, we have trained intensively to deal with the threat of an attacker in the Justice Center or any other public building,” said Hogan in a statement released early Tuesday evening. “Today, that training paid off. The armed attacker was immediately neutralized by the sheriff’s deputies. Law enforcement responded to make sure that all of the citizens, judges and court staff were safe. This was a model response to a violent incident.”

According to the DA, Smith attacked the deputy with a knife near the security entrance to the Chester County Justice Center, in West Chester, at approximately 11:50 a.m. In response, a second deputy reportedly fired his service weapon, striking Smith.

The attacked sheriff’s deputy who was attacked suffered knife wounds to his hand and arm, and was taken to Chester County Hospital where he remains in stable condition.

Smith was taken to Paoli Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Following the incident, the justice center was closed to the public for the rest of the day. The case is still under investigation by the Chester County Detectives. Anyone with information is asked to contact the detectives at 610-344-6866.