2 days ago
Deputy U.S. marshal shoots man near convention center in downtown D.C.
A deputy U.S. marshal shot a man Thursday morning near the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in downtown D.C., authorities said.
The man, who police did not publicly identify, was seriously wounded and undergoing surgery Thursday afternoon, authorities said. The deputy was unharmed, according to Robert 'Tony' Dixon, chief of the U.S. Marshals Service in D.C. Superior Court.
The shooting occurred around 10 a.m. at Seventh and L streets NW. The on-duty deputy fired at the man after he 'perceived a threat,' Dixon said, adding that the deputy is a veteran member of the Marshals Service. Authorities declined to comment further on what led to the gunfire, saying an investigation was in its early stages.
'We do not know all of the specifics as it relates to what predicated the encounter, but we do know that the United States marshal perceived a threat, during which gunfire was exchanged,' Dixon said. 'The details are unknown, but the perception was that there was a threat and he responded accordingly.'
An employee at a nearby Compass Coffee location said he was walking south, past Pearl's Bagels, when he heard eight to ten gunshots behind him. He said the shots were aimed at a black SUV, which was later towed.
The shooting sparked a large police presence outside the convention center and street closures in the surrounding area, but roads reopened just after 1 p.m. D.C. Police Chief Pamela A. Smith called the shooting an 'isolated incident' that was not related to any events being held in the District this weekend, including a large U.S. Army parade scheduled for Saturday.
