Update 10:10 p.m.: At least one person is dead and another injured after an officer-involved shooting Saturday just after 9:00 p.m. at The Wharf.
Witnesses on scene on the 800 block of Wharf Street SW say officers blocked off the street from Seventh to Ninth Street SW along Maine Avenue SW shortly before 9:30p.m. July 16. Police are asking people to avoid the area as they investigate.
Update 11:26 p.m.: in a media briefing, MPD Police Chief Robert Contee said two officers were in the area of The Wharf when they saw a man pointing a gun as he stood outside a restaurant on the 800 block.
Contee said police were not sure at who or what the main was aiming. “They fired after they saw the individual pointing the firearm. If he fired first –I don’t know the sequence,” Contee said during a media briefing. One of the officers shot the man at least once. he was taken to hospital and later died of his injuries, Contee said.
The suspect firearm was recovered from the scene, and is pictured below. pic.twitter.com/LO2r8EH6gG
— DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) July 17, 2022
Police said a semi-automatic handgun was recovered at the site. Another man suffered what Contee described as a bullet-graze injury. He is being treated as a witness and is being treated at hospital. Police say they are not sure if the witness was accompanying the deceased.
“We’re very lucky that no innocent residents or visitors in this area was injured as a result of this interaction,” Contee said. “Clearly this is a very brzen individual to display a firearm in one of our entertainment areas.”
Previous UPDATE: 9:59 p.m. DC Police tweeted that this incident is an officer-involved shooting. More information is expected shortly.
MPD Officer Involved Shooting in the 800 block of Wharf Street, SW. PIO enroute to scene. Media staging area will be provided shortly.
— DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) July 17, 2022
The 800 block of the Wharf Street SW is located along the Anacostia River behind District Square. It is a popular spot for people to gather and socialize. There is the potential for a large number of people to have been nearby on a Saturday evening at 9:30 p.m.
This story will be updated as information is gathered.
Correction: an earlier version misinterpreted Chief Contee’s statement on site. He said “We’re very lucky that no innocent residents or visitors in this area were injured as a result of this interaction.” Due to surrounding noise, the word ‘visitors’ was word was misheard as ‘business’. The Hill Rag sincerely regrets this error.
