Under attack: Three DC officers shot, one suspect dead after opening fire in lobby

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Authorities have confirmed that three police officers were shot and one suspect was fatally shot in Northeast D.C. during the morning hours on Monday, January 13th.

According to NBC4, the armed suspect opened fire twice in the lobby of a residential building in the 300 block of Florida Ave NE. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Pamela Smith said that officers responded to a 911 call at the apartment complex around 4:30 a.m. Smith said that responding officers encountered the armed suspect in the apartment lobby of i5 Union Market.

The armed suspect ran into an elevator. A few minutes later the suspect exited the elevator and again ran into officers in the lobby. Smith said the officers tried to take the suspect into custody, but the suspect did not comply. Instead, the suspect fired a handgun at the officers. Smith said that the officers returned fire. 

Three officers were struck by gunfire and the suspect was also struck. Other responding officers gave provided life-saving measures on the armed suspect, but he was pronounced dead on scene. The three injured officers were rushed to a nearby hospital. The officers remain in stable position and were alert when they were taken for treatment. 

Smith said in a statement, "This is yet another reminder of the daily dangers we face in our city and across the U.S. I'm very grateful that our officers were able to get through this particular incident without any further injuries."

In a statement, D.C. Police Union Chairman Gregg Pemberton said that all three officers are expected to be released from the hospital within a day or so. MPD's Internal Affairs Division will be investigating the incident, along with the Criminal Investigations Division. Smith said the case will also be independently reviewed by the U.S. Attorney's Office. In accordance with MPD police policy, the officers involved in the shooting are on administrative leave.

Pemberton said that MPD is understaffed and officers are working a lot of overtime. In a statement, he pushed officials to hire more officers, saying, "Today's incident serves as a stark reminder of the risks associated with the overburdened force. It is of the utmost importance for the safety of the District that city leaders prioritize staffing levels and retention of officers."

Residents who live in the area where the shooting happened expressed safety concerns. Antaysia Thomas, a resident who lives nearby, said that the incident made her "scared" and pointed out that this happened in a luxury apartment complex. Thomas said, "I love D.C. and I want to stay in D.C. This would make me question if that's something I want to do if someone's dying."

Jade Womack, a resident who lives across the street, captured several police cars lined up as the incident unfolded. She said that it's common for people to follow behind someone else into the apartment buildings and that's an issue for several buildings in the area. She said, "At these off hours like at 5:30, most of the people that work in these buildings, they are temps or they're hired security."

She added, "They don't really know the residents and so oftentimes people will come in and I think for two people to be the doorkeepers for like 300, 400 residents and have to know all of them, it's really tough for them and it puts them in a hard position." As of this writing, the identity of the suspect has yet to be released.