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Suspect in custody after National Guardsman shot in Washington, DC
A suspect is in custody after a National Guardsman was shot in Washington, D.C.
WASHINGTON - The man accused of injuring a National Guard member in a late-night shootout in Southeast D.C. is now facing federal firearms and assault charges.
What's New:
Jerrell Lamont Jackson, 41, has been charged in U.S. District Court with the following:
- Unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon
- Assault with a dangerous weapon
- Possession of a firearm during a crime of violence
These federal charges follow the charges he initially received from the Metropolitan Police Department, including assault on a police officer and emergency personnel.
Timeline:
The incident occurred in the 400 block of 8th Street SE at 11:10 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 18, according to police.
A group of National Guard members were patrolling the area in a van when they saw a street fight outside of Café 8 Bar, police said.
The altercation (circled in red) broke out in front of Cafe 8 as several individuals looked on. (Courtesy of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia)
A surveillance camera farther up the street, captured an image of the altercation involving the suspect. (Courtesy of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia)
When the Guard members got out of the vehicle to break up the fight, police said Jackson pulled out a 9mm handgun, started firing toward them and tried to run away.
National Guard members (circled at left) arrived as the fight was in progress. (Courtesy of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia)
Surveillance footage shared by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia shows people scattering as shots rang out, with the front door of a nearby smoke shop shot out during the incident.
Individuals scatter at the sound of a gunshot. One of them flees into a nearby smoke shop. (Courtesy of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia)
The suspect appears to discharge a firearm into the smoke shop next door to Cafe 8. (Courtesy of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia)
When National Guard members ordered him to drop the weapon, Jackson ran toward an alleyway while shooting back at them, court records state. He then ran behind a parked Subaru, turned around, and pointed his weapon toward the guardsmen.
The suspect identified as Jackson, in the hooded sweatshirt, runs by an individual and into an alleyway as National Guard members order him to stop. (Courtesy of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia)
A member of the National Guard appears to discharge his firearm in the direction of the suspect. (Courtesy of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia)
A surveillance camera in the alleyway captured this image of the suspect -- still holding a firearm -- after he ran behind the Subaru, turned around, and pointed the firearm in the direction of the National Guardsmen. (Courtesy of the U.S. Attorney f
According to police, three National Guard members returned fire, hitting Jackson in the abdomen.
One of the National Guard members was shot in the leg as a result.
Both men were brought inside the fire station, and firefighters called police to the scene. According to police, the injured Guard member and Jackson were both taken to a nearby hospital by DC Fire and EMS for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. The Guard member was released soon after.
The backstory:
According to a report from the U.S. Marshals Service, Jackson has a lengthy criminal record, including previous convictions for assaulting a police officer, illegally carrying a pistol, and multiple parole violations.
Locally, the shootout has renewed scrutiny on crime in the Barracks Row corridor. D.C. Councilman Charles Allen said he wants Café 8 shut down due to a history of violence in the area.
"I know my other businesses in the corridor are sick and tired of it, and my residents are sick and tired of it," Allen said.
What's next:
Investigators recovered a Taurus G2C 9mm handgun from underneath the parked vehicle Jackson used for cover, along with at least 14 spent shell casings.
Law enforcement subsequently recovered a Taurus G2C 9mm pistol from under the Subaru. (Courtesy of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia)
Because National Guard members discharged their weapons, the shooting is under investigation by the MPD Internal Affairs Bureau’s Force Investigations Team.
Jackson remains in custody as the federal case proceeds.
The Source: This article was written using information from a press release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and previous reporting by FOX 5.