Three D.C. police officers serving an arrest warrant related to animal cruelty were shot and wounded Wednesday morning near Benning Park in Southeast Washington, and an armed suspect remained barricaded inside a residence, continuing to fire at those on the scene, authorities said.
A police spokesman, Tom Lynch, initially said multiple officers were injured. The department later said on the platform X, formerly Twitter, that “three officers have gunshot injuries.”
Lynch said a fourth officer was also hurt, but not by gunfire.
Police said they believe the officers were shot shortly after 7:30 a.m. while trying to serve an arrest warrant at a residence in the 5000 block of Hanna Place SE, in the Marshall Heights community. Police had initially said the incident occurred in the 5300 block.
It was not immediately clear whether the officers fired their guns or if any civilians were injured.
D.C. Police Chief Pamela A. Smith said officers with the Criminal Apprehension Unit were serving a warrant on behalf of the Humane Rescue Alliance, charging the suspect with cruelty to animals.
“The individual refused to come outside,” Smith told reporters at a briefing at the scene. “As officers attempted to gain entry, the individual fired on them.”
Smith said the three officers were struck in their feet and hands and were taken to a hospital for treatment. As of 10 a.m., Smith said the person “remained barricaded inside” the residence “and has continued to fire from that location.”
The police chief said department negotiators “are in constant contact with the individual.” She said police did not know whether anyone else was inside the residence.
In a statement, the Human Rescue Alliance, a nonprofit that rescues animals in the District, said its field services director, Dan D’Eramo, was at the scene but was not injured. The statement said the wanted person “shot through the door.”
The statement said officials’ thoughts are with the injured officers, “and we are wishing them all the best in their recovery. We could not fulfill our mission without them.”
Further details on the allegations in the arrest warrant were not immediately available.
Police cordoned off a wide swath of the area with crime tape and rows of police cars. A steady stream of families dropped off their young children at a KIPP D.C. school, amid the heavy police presence.
One man carrying a small boy and a bouquet of roses ducked around crime tape to enter the glass doors to the school. He also held two balloons — one said “You’re my” and the other said “Valentine.”
Brittney Hammett, 33, was walking her 4-year-old daughter to school when she saw the red and blue police lights flashing outside. Hammett wondered if her always inquisitive daughter would ask about the chaos outside, but she stayed quiet and entered the building.
Hammett said she plans to explain what happened after school Wednesday.
“I’m not going to sugarcoat it or hide it from her,” Hammett said. “Life is life.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
