Before allegedly shooting three D.C. police officers, kicking off an hourslong barricade in his home Wednesday, a Southeast resident was facing animal cruelty charges tied to accusations he repeatedly punched one of his dogs and kept dozens of others in unsanitary conditions, according to court records.
Officers were serving the man a warrant Wednesday morning when police said he started shooting through the door, striking three officers. Court documents identified the man as 48-year-old Stephen Rattigan, though police said he uses the alias Julius James.
In a first appearance in D.C. Superior Court on Thursday, Rattigan was ordered to be held without bond Thursday on charges of assault on a police officer, animal cruelty and assault with intent to kill while armed.
Court documents state Rattigan had been given notice last spring to get rid of his dogs or vacate his home at 5032 Hanna Place SE. Neighbors had complained to authorities that Rattigan had as many as 20 dogs, and that they were mistreated and frequently kept off leash, according to court records.
The Humane Rescue Alliance told WTOP 20 adult dogs and 11 puppies were found in Rattigan’s home.
Authorities wrote that when meeting with Rattigan in January to address the complaints, they smelled a strong odor of feces and urine at the front door. Neighbors also shared video with authorities that shows Rattigan punching one of his dogs in the face six times after it approached a child and an adult in the neighborhood “in an excited and friendly manner,” court documents state.
What unfolded during 13-hour standoff
As a result of those complaints, police obtained a warrant on animal cruelty charges and attempted to serve it to Rattigan on Wednesday morning. According to court documents, Rattigan continued to refuse to open the door 30 minutes after police arrived. After issuing a warning to Rattigan, police used a breaching tool to try and open the front door.
That’s when police said they were met by “several aggressive dogs” and heard gunshots from inside the home, court records state. Three officers were shot, starting off the 13-hour barricade.
During the barricade, police said sporadic gunfire came from inside the home, with at least three rounds striking the front door of an armored police truck. Court records state Rattigan called a D.C. police officer during the barricade and told him there were people at his home earlier in the day, and out of fear, he shot multiple times through the front door.
Rattigan told the officer he would not surrender his dogs and that “they will have to kill me.” At that point, the officer handed off the call to Emergency Response Team negotiators.
Rattigan told negotiators he was under the impression the police were going to harm him and his dogs. Rattigan also said that he knew if the police came inside, his dogs would attack them, resulting in officers killing his dogs, according to court records.
Court records indicate that Rattigan told negotiators the shots were meant to be “warning shots,” and that Rattigan was initially unaware he had wounded police officers.
Later in the day, court documents state Rattigan admitted firing the rounds “because it was taking too long for him to get his cigarettes.” Rattigan also told police that while he doesn’t take any mental health medication, he is “not right in the head” and needs help.
Eventually, Rattigan agreed to surrender and come outside.
Court documents state that as police were securing the area, they found a disassembled handgun on a bed on the second-floor bedroom. Police attempted to interview Rattigan after his arrest, during which Rattigan denied shooting at the police and denied knowledge of the firearm.
Held without bond
In D.C. Superior Court on Thursday, Rattigan’s lawyer disputed the assault with intent to kill charge, citing Rattigan’s comments that they were meant to be warning shots and that he shot through the door. His lawyer also noted Rattigan is 48 years old with no violent criminal history and does not pose a flight risk.
Ultimately, Judge Renee Raymond sided with prosecutors, who argued there was a “reasonable inference” that Rattigan knew officers were in his line of fire, since they announced their presence at the door before Rattigan fired multiple times from close range.
Raymond also noted that Rattigan is accused of firing more times from inside his home during the barricade.
“There was quite a danger to the public,” she said before ordering Rattigan held before his next court appearance on Feb. 29.
Wounded officers released from hospital
One officer was struck by gunfire twice, but the rounds were stopped by a bulletproof vest, said Gregg Pemberton, chairman of the Washington, D.C., police union. Two more officers were struck in their lower legs. The fourth officer suffered hand injuries at the scene, he said.
All three hospitalized officers were released Thursday to cheers from their fellow officers.
Cops packed the plaza in front of Washington Hospital Center to send three injured officers home to recover. We want to thank the doctors and nurses along with all of our members for their heroics and professionalism. #EnoughIsEnough pic.twitter.com/IOnOjuptfK
— DC Police Union (@DCPoliceUnion) February 15, 2024
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser visited the injured officers.
“It goes to show you how important it is to support our police, to make sure we’re hiring the best of the best police, to make sure that as a community, that if we see something wrong, that we call MPD because MPD is going to show up for us every single time,” Bowser said during an event for Valentine’s Day.
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