WASHINGTON, DC - A National Guard soldier who attempted to intervene in a fight in Washington, D.C., was shot, CBS News reports. The suspect was also shot; however, neither was believed to have suffered life-threatening injuries, interim D.C. Metropolitan Police Chief Jeffrey Carroll told reporters at a Monday morning press conference.
Carroll said that two National Guardsmen were sitting in a van near the U.S. Capitol Sunday night and saw a fight break out. The suspect pulled a firearm, and the Guardsmen ordered him to drop the weapon. He then pointed the gun at the Guardsmen and began shooting, striking one of the Guardsmen in the leg. The suspect was also shot in the leg. Both were being treated at area hospitals.
D.C. police identified the suspect as Jerrell Jackson, 41, of Southeast D.C., ABC 7 News reported. Police say Jackson was arrested by D.C. police and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, assault on a police officer and emergency personnel, carrying a pistol without a license, and possession of a firearm by a felon. It is possible that he will also be hit with federal charges.
The Capitol Hill incident comes one year after President Trump sent the National Guard to Washington, D.C., as part of a national crackdown on crime.
Last November, two National Guardsmen were shot in an ambush-style attack near the White House. One of the Guardsmen, Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, was killed, while the other soldier, Andrew Wolfe, was shot in the head but survived his wounds.
According to a news release from the Department of Justice, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 30-year-old Afghan national, faces a 17-count superseding indictment filed in U.S. District Court in connection with the shootings.
“Sarah Beckstrom was 20 years old, serving her country in the nation’s capital, when Rahmanullah Lakanwal allegedly drove across the country and executed her in cold blood steps from the White House,” U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro said. “That is not just a crime, it is a major offense against the United States. We will pursue every penalty the law permits as we seek justice for Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe.”
The release noted that the new charges lodged in the superseding indictment are eligible for the death penalty.
Among other charges, Lakanwal was charged with murder of a person assisting an officer of the United States and discharge of a firearm during a violent crime that causes death, both death penalty eligible. Lakanwal pleaded not guilty to those charges.
Comments