A Washington, D.C., police officer was shot and died of his injuries while trying to retrieve a gun that someone had thrown into a sewer in the northeastern part of the state on Wednesday, authorities say.
Investigator Wayne David was the victim, said Jeff Carroll, deputy chief of police of the Metropolitan Police Department, at a press conference.
“Wayne is a true hero for the District of Columbia and today he gave his life to serve the visitors and residents here in the District of Columbia and we will never forget that,” Carroll said.
David served with the MPD for 25 years and was part of the Violent Crimes Suppression Division since 2007. He has recovered hundreds of weapons throughout the city, Carroll said. He has received several awards, including a Ribbon of Valor for his response to the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and four performance medals.
He lived in DC and leaves behind his daughter, son, daughter and their family.
“The impact of guns on our community is unbearable,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a statement honoring his life.
According to police, David was in the process of retrieving the weapon that the suspect had thrown into a sewer
Officers with the MPD’s Robbery Unit were combing the area of the 4500 block of Quarles Street NE around 5:40 p.m. when they saw a suspect exit a suspect vehicle, police said. Officers attempted to make contact with the man, but he ran toward southbound Interstate 295 and jumped down a retaining wall.
A moment later, officers saw him hide a gun in a sewer. He jumped into the back of a motorcycle and disappeared. It was not immediately clear if he knew the motorcyclist.
During the investigation, officers went to the sewer to retrieve the gun. The gun went off and a bullet struck David.
Fellow officers attempted to save his life and he was flown by MPD helicopter to MedStar Washington Hospital Center. He was treated but died.
The suspect was seen in surveillance camera footage, police said. Anyone who can identify him or may have relevant information is asked to contact MPD.
MPD
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is assisting in the investigation.
David worked with the MPD’s Violent Crime Suppression Division
The MPD’s Violent Crime Suppression Division takes a high-profile, interactive approach to crime fighting.
This is one of the approaches that citizens in troubled neighborhoods have been calling for, and as News4 learned from DC Police Chief Pamela Smith in an interview earlier this year, it is a focus for her.
“I looked at the geographic areas in the county where there was an increase in robberies, car thefts and burglaries, and that’s what I focused on,” Smith said. “I re-evaluated how we were deploying our resources. I looked at the times of day and night when we were seeing the highest increase in crime and deployed resources in those areas.”
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The recent decline in violent crime is partly attributed to this approach, but the increased number of contacts with violent and repeat offenders presents an additional challenge for officers in their dangerous duty to protect and serve.
According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, in 2024 through June 30, 71 federal, state, and local law enforcement officers are expected to die in the line of duty. During the same period in 2023, 62 officers died in the line of duty. Firearms incidents were the leading cause of death in the line of duty, with 28 officers killed by gunfire this year. Keith Williams was the last DC police officer to die in the line of duty in June 2020.
Stay with News4 and NBCWashington.com for ongoing developments on this breaking story.
