A Washington, D.C., police officer died Wednesday after being shot when a gun he was attempting to retrieve from a storm drain accidentally fired, according to officials.
According to Executive Assistant Chief Jeffery Carroll, the officer, Wayne David, had been with the Metropolitan Police Department for almost 25 years.
“Wayne is a true hero to the District of Columbia, and today he gave his life to serve the visitors and the residents here,” he said. “We will never forget that.”
Carroll said early Wednesday that officers witnessed someone get out of a suspicious vehicle in the city’s northeast, flee on foot, and leap onto Interstate 295. Officers watched the suspect throw a gun into a storm drain before fleeing on the back of a motorcycle, he added.
Police were attempting to retrieve the pistol from the drain when it went off, injuring the officer at least once, according to Carroll. Police are looking for the person who threw the gun into the drain, he said.
