A man who authorities say intentionally drove his vehicle into a D.C. police cruiser and attempted to run over federal agents Thursday evening, leading one of them to fire her weapon, was arrested and faces a series of charges.
No one was hurt, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
In a statement to WTOP, a DHS spokesperson said agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Diplomatic Security Service and D.C. police officers tried to pull over a silver Nissan Altima near the intersection of Pennsylvania and Minnesota avenues in Southeast.
Authorities said they saw the driver, 35-year-old Justin Brian Nelson, of Southeast D.C., commit several traffic violations, including running a red light. Law enforcement tried to initiate a traffic stop at around 4:45 p.m., and police said Nelson took off.
During the following pursuit, Nelson came to a stop in the 3400 block of Benning Road in Northeast due to heavy traffic, at which point federal agents and D.C. police officers approached the vehicle on foot, according to D.C. police’s incident report.
That’s when, according to the police report, Nelson backed up and intentionally struck a marked D.C. police cruiser as officers and at least one federal agent were standing nearby.
“The agent in fear for her life, the lives of her law enforcement partners, and members of the community, defensively discharged her weapon,” the DHS statement reads.
After striking the cruiser, the police report said Nelson sped forward toward Minnesota Avenue, Northeast, and made a left to continue northbound. While traveling along Minnesota Avenue, Nelson caused an unmarked federal vehicle to crash with a Metrobus, according to the police report.
Nelson continued driving, the police report said, and once he reached the area of Minnesota and Nannie Helen Burroughs avenues, he struck another vehicle and continued driving north on Minnesota Avenue toward Sheriff Road.
The pursuit came to an end in the 4400 block of Sheriff Road, Northeast, where federal officers arrested Nelson.
He’s charged with assaulting a police officer, fleeing from police, reckless driving, leaving after colliding and driving with a suspended license, police said.
A division of D.C. police’s Internal Affairs Bureau — the Force Investigation Team — is examining the shooting by the federal agent, as it does with all officer-involved shootings in the District. Once the internal division wraps up its investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C. will independently review the case.
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