Fla. police fire at ‘impaired’ driver in Mara-Lago breach

PALM BEACH, Fla. — Law enforcement agents opened fire on an SUV driver who smashed through two security checkpoints at Mar-a-Lago on Friday in what authorities described as the actions of “an obviously impaired” driver but not an intentional attack on President Donald Trump’s resort.

The driver, Hannah Roemhild, 30, of Connecticut, who identifies herself on her Facebook page as an opera singer, was later arrested at a nearby motel. No one was injured, authorities said, and Trump was not at the Palm Beach club at the time.

Roemhild was not at any time “even remotely close” to getting into the “inner perimeter” of the president’s resort, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said at a news conference.

He said Roemhild, “obviously impaired,” was dancing on top of her vehicle outside the Breakers hotel, about 3 miles from Mara-Lago, when an off-duty Florida Highway Patrol officer who was working hotel security approached her.

Roemhild jumped into the SUV and refused to open the window or acknowledge the officer, Bradshaw said. She then put the car in reverse and began driving away. Roemhild led officers on a high-speed pursuit, at times driving on the wrong side of the road at speeds nearing 70 miles, said Major Robert Chandler of the Florida Highway Patrol.

Bradshaw said Roemhild did not appear to have a criminal record. She is going to be charged with assault on a federal officer, deadly assault on two sheriff’s deputies and traffic charges, he said.