Washington DC Police Officer Killed During Effort to Retrieve Discarded Firearm

A Washington, D.C., police officer was killed Wednesday after being shot while attempting to collect a weapon from a storm drain.

The Metropolitan Police police stated that Investigator Wayne David had been with the police for almost 25 years.

“Investigator David exemplified the qualities of a great officer. He was a devoted and highly regarded member of the department, and his passing is a great loss for all of us,” Metropolitan Police Department Chief of Police Pamela Smith said in a statement.

According to the Metropolitan Police Department, David was one of many officers canvassing a street in northeast Washington D.C.’s Kenilworth neighborhood on the afternoon of August 28, when they attempted to contact a guy exiting a nearby vehicle. The authorities attempted to approach the individual, who was observed throwing a firearm into a nearby storm drain before departing the scene on a motorcycle.

While attempting to retrieve the weapon, it fired, wounding David once. He was taken to a local hospital, where he eventually died.

During a press conference Wednesday evening, Metropolitan Police Department Executive Chief Assistant Jeffrey Carroll stated, “Wayne is a true hero to the District of Columbia tonight. Today, he offered his life for the visitors and citizens of the District of Columbia, and we will never forget it. “This is classified as a line-of-duty death.”

The Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives continue to investigate the event.

According to a study compiled by the National Law Enforcement personnel Memorial Fund, 71 law enforcement personnel died in the line of duty in 2024 as of June 30th. These figures included two more cases of unintentional shootings.

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