Washington, DC, shooting: 3 police officers wounded while making an animal cruelty arrest

CNN
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Three officers with the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC, were wounded in a shooting Wednesday morning while attempting to serve an arrest warrant for animal cruelty, Police Chief Pamela A. Smith said. A standoff with the suspect, who barricaded themselves inside the home, was still ongoing more than 11 hours later.

The incident began when officers with the criminal apprehension unit and the Humane Rescue Alliance responded to a home in the 5000 block of Hanna Place SE, in the southeast part of the city, to serve an arrest warrant for animal cruelty at about 7:30 a.m. ET, the chief said. An individual inside the home refused to come outside, and when officers tried to enter the home, the person fired at them, Smith said.

The three officers were shot and taken to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries, she said. A fourth officer also suffered a minor injury, she added. The officers were not facing any “serious, critical injuries” and were doing well, Smith said in a news conference Wednesday evening.

There have been times throughout the day when the suspect fires “a shot here and there,” Smith said in the evening news conference.

Police have been in negotiations with the suspect, who has repeatedly become agitated during their phone conversations, Smith said. Other moments, the suspect “was very positive,” Smith said. Police have not seen the suspect since this morning, Smith said.

“There’s a dialogue there and we’re continuing to work,” said Tom Lynch, a police spokesperson.

Responding to a question about how long she will let the standoff go on, the police chief said, “I will tolerate this as long as we continue to engage with the suspect, to get him to surrender to our law enforcement personnel.”

Some residents in the immediate area were evacuated from their homes, Smith said. She would not share details on how many people were relocated and where they were taken.

Police have also blocked off several neighboring streets and warned the public to stay “far away from the scene.”

There are nearly a dozen pit bulls inside the home, according to a source.

The Humane Rescue Alliance, an animal services provider, issued a statement confirming their presence at the scene.

“As this dynamic situation unfolds, our thoughts are with our partners at MPD who are being treated in the hospital and we are wishing them all the best in their recovery. We could not fulfill our mission without them,” the group said.

The shooting comes as Washington, DC, has seen a sharp rise in violent crime over the past year, even as many other US cities experienced a decline. From 2022 to 2023, DC saw a 35% increase in homicides, a 67% increase in robberies and an 82% increase in motor vehicle thefts, according to police data.

“I won’t say DC crime is out of control,” Smith said in her news conference earlier Wednesday. “I think we have a group of individuals who do not respect law enforcement and authority. Our officers, again, were where they were supposed to be, doing exactly what they need to do, and we will continue to do that.”

This is a developing story and will be updated.