WASHINGTON (WUSA9) -- Wednesday, a Metropolitan Police Department officer was honored for his bravery during the Navy Yard shooting in 2013.
Officer DeSantis received the Congressional Badge of Bravery in Baltimore in a ceremony attended by Rep. Elijah Cummings, Rod Rosenstein, US Attorney for the District of Maryland, Senator Ben Cardin, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Cathy Lanier, and Captain Monte Ulmer, Commanding Officer of the Navy Yard. DeSantis is credited with helping secure the safety of civilians, and fired the weapon that fatally wounded the gunman at Navy Yard.
Officer DeSantis was among the officers who first responded to the headquarters of the Naval Sea Systems Command at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington on Sept. 16, 2013 as a lone gunman shot at people inside the building.
DeSantis and United States Park Police Officers Carl Hiott and Andrew Wong searched the building for the gunman. While clearing the third floor, Officer Hiott saw movement at a cubicle. He then saw muzzle flashes and heard gunshots so he returned fire. Officer DeSantis also fired, taking a bullet in his vest.
Both officers entered the cubicle. They discovered the gunman on the ground with a gun at his feet.
The gunman ultimately killed 12 people and injured others, including two D.C. police officers.
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