WASHINGTON — Shots were fired when an off-duty Metropolitan Police Department tried to stop an armed carjacking in Northwest D.C., according to police investigators.
Officers with MPD's second district were called to the 1200 block of 28th Street Northwest just after midnight for a report of shots fired. When officers arrived on the scene they were flagged down by the off-duty officer, according to MPD Executive Assistant Chief Ashan Benedict.
In a press conference Wednesday, D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee said the off-duty officer saw two men in ski masks approach a car. The suspects allegedly demanded the car, cash and valuables from the three people inside at gunpoint.
According to the preliminary investigation of the incident, the off-duty officer intervened in an armed robbery and shot at the suspects, hitting one of them. Contee says one of the suspects shot back at the officer.
Since the officer was off duty, he was not wearing a body camera at the time of the shooting.
Police on the scene reported that one person inside the vehicle was shot, and one of the suspects was also shot. Both had injuries not thought to be life-threatening. The MPD officer was not injured.
According to Contee one of the suspects, identified as 23-year-old Marquette Earl Holmes of Alexandria, ran away from the area and was later found hiding in a trash can several blocks away. He was arrested with the help of the United States Secret Service uniformed division.
A semi-automatic pistol was also recovered at the scene, Benedict said in a statement.
Holmes faces multiple charges, including Armed Robbery, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, Carrying a Pistol Without a License, Possession of an Unregistered Firearm, Possession of Unregistered Ammunition and Possession of Large Capacity Feeding Device.
The second suspect has is still at large. He's identified as a Black man and thought to be wearing a black sweatshirt with white reflective lettering, dark pants, and white shoes.
Police ask anyone who may have information about this case or the suspect they are looking for to call them at 202-727-9099 or text the department's tip line at 50411.
MPD investigators have not yet released additional information about the officer involved in this case.