According to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), two men have been arrested in the shooting of a U.S. Park Police officer. The officer was discharged from the hospital and is recovering, after being shot Monday evening in Southeast Washington, D.C., in what officials describe as a targeted ambush.
The shooting occurred around 7:30 p.m. in the 5000 block of Queens Stroll Place SE, near the Marshall Heights neighborhood. Authorities say the officer, a veteran with the agency, was working undercover in connection with an earlier investigation and was driving an unmarked white Tesla when two suspects approached and opened fire.
Multiple rounds struck the officer in the upper body, including the shoulder. Despite his injuries, he was able to drive a short distance before stopping, where fellow officers provided first aid. He was then airlifted by a Park Police helicopter to a hospital. Officials later confirmed his injuries were not life-threatening, and he was released Tuesday morning.
The D.C. Police Union said in a statement, “we can confirm that a member of US Park Police was shot in the 5000 blk of Queens Stroll Place SE,” adding, “We’re all sending prayers for the officer and @1791FOP at this time.”
FBI Director Kash Patel also shared: “Praying for the Park Police officer shot in Washington, D.C. The FBI is actively supporting the investigation alongside our law enforcement partners and will bring those responsible to justice.”
The MPD said that 21-year-old Darren Foster of Southeast, DC, was located and stopped shortly after the shooting on Monday. On Tuesday, officers located a second suspect, 22-year-old Asheile Foster of Southeast, DC. Both were arrested and charged with assault on a federal police officer with a gun. Investigators believe the suspects may have known they were targeting a law enforcement officer, though that remains under review.
D.C. police interim chief Jeffery Carroll said that “this is an example of unnecessary gun violence in our city. There’s no reason that anybody, a police officer, not a police officer, should be shot just for being out here driving through the neighborhood,” noting the officer appeared to have been deliberately targeted.
Editorial credit: nmoyPhoto / Shutterstock.com
