Officials said a U.S. Park Police officer was wounded in an “ambush” shooting Monday night while working an undercover operation in the Southeast section of the District.
Park Police Chief Scott Brecht said the officer was airlifted to a hospital after two gunmen carried out the targeted shooting near the border between the District and Maryland.
D.C. Fire and EMS said a helicopter took the officer to a hospital at about 7:30 p.m. Monday. Park Police said he was released Tuesday morning and is expected to make a full recovery.
“There’s no reason that anybody, a police officer or not a police officer, should be shot just for being out here driving through the neighborhood,” interim Metropolitan Police Chief Jeffery Carroll said. “We believe potentially they did know he was a police officer, but that’ll all be part of the ongoing investigation as relates to the actual shooting incident.”
Chief Brecht said the officer was driving a white Tesla in the 5000 block of Queens Stroll Place Southeast when the two suspects opened fire on him.
Authorities said the officer suffered a bullet wound to the shoulder. He drove several blocks away from the shooting scene before a helicopter arrived for the medivac.
Chief Brecht did not share what kind of operation the officer was conducting.
“We have jurisdiction in all of Washington, D.C.,” the chief said.
Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel said they were briefed on the shooting and that federal authorities were assisting with the investigation.
