D.C. officials have identified five police officers who were involved in the shooting earlier this month of a 35-year-old man who authorities said appeared to point a gun at the officers in an alley in Southeast Washington.
The deputy mayor for public safety and justice on Friday night listed the officers involved in the incident as Jaquelon Mertus, Robert Marsh, Christina Laury, Reginald Hildebrandt and Brian Tejada. Officials did not say if all five officers shot at Coleman.
The officers have been placed on routine administrative leave during the investigation. Video from the officers’ body cameras was not made public because Coleman declined its release, as is his right under the law, according to the deputy mayor’s office.
The incident occurred about 6:20 p.m. on Feb. 9 in the 1400 block of Bangor Street SE. Police said the officers were part of an anti-homicide patrol. An arrest affidavit says they tried to stop Coleman, who the officers said was armed with a gun.
The affidavit says Coleman tried to escape by running through an alley but became trapped in a brick enclosure for a trash bin. He then turned toward the approaching officers, according to the affidavit.
“He then raises his right arm away from his body, with the firearm in his right hand pointed toward [an officer] and assisting officers,” the affidavit says. The court document says officers took cover and fired at Coleman. The affidavit does not say whether Coleman fired, though authorities in an earlier statement said he “appeared to discharge at least one round” in the alley.
Police said they found a Taurus 9mm handgun loaded with 10 bullets.
Authorities said the anti-homicide squad deploys in neighborhoods most affected by deadly violence. Efforts to reach the five officers were not successful.
