Current:Home > Back3 D.C. officers shot while serving animal cruelty warrant; suspect arrested after hourslong standoff-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
3 D.C. officers shot while serving animal cruelty warrant; suspect arrested after hourslong standoff
View Date:2024-12-23 19:48:59
Three police officers were shot trying to make an animal cruelty arrest that touched off an hourslong standoff in the nation's capitol on Wednesday, which ended late at night with a man's arrest.
The officers were hospitalized and expected to recover from gunshot wounds, authorities said. A fourth officer was hurt at the scene, but not shot.
The standoff started Wednesday morning as officers attempted to make an arrest on an animal cruelty warrant, but the suspect refused to leave the home, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith said. As officers tried to get inside, a person opened fire.
The shooter barricaded himself inside his home in the southeast part of Washington and continued sporadically firing shots hours after opening fire, police said.
Hours after the standoff began, 46-year-old Julius James was arrested on suspicion of cruelty to animals. He is expected to face additional charges related to the shooting. No attorney or phone number was listed for him in public records Wednesday night.
One officer was struck by gunfire twice, but the rounds were stopped by a bulletproof vest, said Gregg Pemberton, chairman of the Washington, D.C., police union. Two more officers were struck in their lower legs. The fourth officer suffered hand injuries at the scene, he said.
"We expect some may have a lengthy recovery, but hopefully they'll be back on the streets again soon," Pemberton said.
Roads were closed, schools were locked down and police warned people to stay far from the area as the shooting unfolded.
The incident comes as the District of Columbia is struggling with a sharp increase in violent crime, which went up 39% in 2023. It was largely fueled by a 35% rise in homicides and growth in carjackings, which nearly doubled. Smith pushed lawmakers to pass legislation that would strengthen penalties for gun offenses in the nation's capital.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Joe Biden is praying the officers make full recoveries and called for more congressional action on guns.
"This shooting is yet another distressing and painful reminder of the toll gun violence is inflicting on families, on our communities and, obviously, on our nation," she said.
- In:
- Health
veryGood! (97)
Related
- Congress is revisiting UFOs: Here's what's happened since last hearing on extraterrestrials
- The damage to a Baltic undersea cable was ‘purposeful,’ Swedish leader says but gives no details
- All 32 NHL teams are in action Tuesday. Times, TV, streaming, best games
- Suspension of Astros’ Abreu upheld and pushed to next year. Reliever available for Game 7
- Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had a stroke earlier this month, is expected to make full recovery
- West Texas county bans travel on its roads to help someone seeking an abortion
- A'ja Wilson mocks, then thanks, critics while Aces celebrate second consecutive WNBA title
- Police in Massachusetts are searching for an armed man in connection with his wife’s shooting death
- Roy Haynes, Grammy-winning jazz drummer, dies at 99: Reports
- How Winter House Will Address Tom Sandoval's Season 3 Absence
Ranking
- Round 2 in the Trump-vs-Mexico matchup looks ominous for Mexico
- Funeral services planned for Philadelphia police officer killed in airport garage shooting
- Giannis Antetokoumpo staying in Milwaukee, agrees to three-year extension with Bucks
- Malaysia gives nod for Australian miner Lynas to import, process rare earths until March 2026
- All the Ways Megan Fox Hinted at Her Pregnancy With Machine Gun Kelly
- Many families to get a break on winter heating costs but uncertainties persist
- Hungary in the spotlight after Turkey presses on with Sweden’s bid to join NATO
- Tropical Storm Otis forecast to strengthen to hurricane before landfall near Mexico’s Acapulco
Recommendation
-
Denzel Washington teases retirement — and a role in 'Black Panther 3'
-
Hungary in the spotlight after Turkey presses on with Sweden’s bid to join NATO
-
Many families to get a break on winter heating costs but uncertainties persist
-
Former 'fixer,' now star witness Michael Cohen to face Trump at fraud trial
-
See Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani's Winning NFL Outing With Kids Zuma and Apollo
-
2nd trial in death of New York anti-gang activist ends in mistrial
-
Four NBA teams that could jump back into playoffs this season
-
'Let Us Descend' follows a slave on a painful journey — finding some hope on the way