WASHINGTON — A DC Police officer ended up "kidnapped" in a car with a suspect Friday in the 700 block of Kennedy Street, Chief Robert Contee explained in a news conference, which left the driver shot and two officers injured.
The incident began just after 4:30 p.m. when patrolling officers were flagged down by a person on the block who said that they witnessed a man chasing another person with a gun, Chief Contee said.
Officers then encountered the suspect and realized he was, in fact, armed, Contee said. The suspect then escaped into a nearby alleyway where he got into a dark-colored Jeep. Officers followed closely behind, attempting to get the suspect out of the car in a violent struggle.
Contee said one officer was injured as the car sped away, and the other officer was effectively "kidnapped" in the vehicle with the suspect, Contee detailed. As the man drove, the officer pleaded for him to stop, Contee said. The officer then shot the suspect and jumped out of the moving car.
"The officer was in the rear seat of the vehicle pleading with the person to please stop, please stop, please stop," Contee said. "The person did not stop the vehicle. At some point during that drive down Kennedy Street, a shot was fired by our officer striking the individual. Our officer jumped from the vehicle as the vehicle was moving the vehicle continued on."
That officer now has non-life-threatening scrapes and bruises as a result of the struggle. The other officer who was initially injured as the car took off is also being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
The suspect later showed up at a nearby hospital with a critical gunshot wound to the side, Contee said.
A Southeast D.C. man, 35-year-old Natango Robinson, has since been arrested and charged with felony assault on a police officer while armed, kidnapping while armed, unlawful possession of a firearm, resisting arrest, fleeing a law enforcement officer, failure to obey, and reckless driving.
The MPD member involved has been placed on administrative leave, pursuant to MPD policy. Body-worn camera footage from the incident is currently under review.
"We're seeing too many guns in the streets of our city," Contee said in the evening news conference. "Citizens did exactly what we ask them to do; they told a police officer that they saw an armed man chasing another individual down the street in the District of Columbia in broad daylight."
Contee says the officers stopped the situation from escalating to a tragedy.
“That behavior is unacceptable, not far from here, there's a daycare center, you know if that person had fired off shots you know those bullets don't have any names on them, where would those bullets have gone," Contee said.
"The officers did exactly what they were supposed to do," Contee said, adding that they are still searching for the dark-colored jeep SUV involved in the incident, urging the public to send any information they may have.
The vehicle was last seen bearing a Virginia temporary tag of K37175. The vehicle was captured by a nearby surveillance camera and can be seen in the photos below:
An internal affairs and administrative investigation into the incident will be conducted.
The Kennedy Street Corridor is an area of focus in MPD's Fall Crime Prevention Initiative, Contee said.
The resulting street closures begin at 500 Kennedy Street, Northwest, according to DC police traffic. There is no entry at 500 through 700 Blocks of Kennedy Street in both directions.
Suggested alternate routes include Missouri Avenue, Kansas Avenue and Illinois Avenue.
Anyone with information should call the department at 202-727-9099 or text the tip line anonymously at 50411.