A police officer has died after being shot in Northeast D.C. on Wednesday afternoon, after a suspect’s discarded gun went off while he was retrieving it.
The officer, later identified as Wayne David, was struck at least once in the upper body and was transported to a hospital where he later died.
It happened in the area of DC-295 and Eastern Avenue in the Kenilworth neighborhood around 5:40 p.m.
D.C. police Executive Assistant Chief Jeffery Carroll said at a news conference later Wednesday night that David was shot while retrieving a firearm that was discarded down a storm drain by a suspect his unit had been chasing.
“This is a very tragic circumstance. Our heart goes out to the officers of the Metropolitan Police Department who go out here, day in and day out, and put their lives on the line,” Carroll said.
In a post on X, the D.C. Police Union said that David was specifically shot in the head while retrieving the gun. “We are all devastated at this incredible loss,” the union said.
Members of D.C. police’s Violent Crime Suppression Division were in the 4500 block of Quarles Street NE around 5:40 p.m., when they witnessed a suspicious vehicle and a man exiting it. Police approached the man who then fled toward DC-295 southbound and discarded a weapon down a storm drain on the side of the road.
The man jumped down from the service road, then got on the back of a motorcycle and was able to outrun police. The suspect is described as a man with long dreads, last seen wearing a white shirt and light blue shorts, Carroll said.
The incident brought a large police presence to the area during peak rush hour traffic, with rubbernecking causing most of the significant traffic delays around 6:30 p.m.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is assisting D.C. police with the ongoing investigation, the agency said in a post on X. The agency will “process the firearm once it’s recovered,” Carroll said.
‘We will never forget that’
David, a 25-year veteran of the force, was flown via helicopter to the emergency room at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Bloomingdale.
“He has recovered hundreds of guns across the city. He has been the savior to … many people in our community,” Carroll said Wednesday night. David leaves behind a son and a daughter.
“Wayne is a true hero to the District of Columbia tonight. Today, he gave his life to serve the visitors and the residents here in the District of Columbia, and we will never forget that. This is considered a line-of-duty death,” he added.
“The impact of guns on our community is unbearable. It is hard to accept that a man who came to work to protect our city won’t return home. Tonight, I am praying for Investigator David’s family and loved ones and I’m praying for the officers who put themselves in harm’s way every day to protect D.C.,” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a statement Wednesday night.
Police Chief Pamela Smith added, “Investigator David was the epitome of a great officer. He was a dedicated and highly respected member of the department, and this is a tremendous loss for all of us.”
Below is the area where the incident occurred:
Police are asking anyone with information in this case to call them at 202-727-9099.
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