WASHINGTON — While serving an arrest warrant in Southeast D.C. on Valentine's Day, a man reportedly shot three officers through a door, leading to a day-long barricade situation. The suspect would reportedly then go on to fire shots from inside the home, Thirteen hours later, he surrendered to police.
Court documents are now giving insight into what happened in the moments before, during and after the intense situation.
Animal Cruelty
Police arrived at the home on Hanna Place, SE, just after 7:30 a.m. to help members of the Washington Humane Society arrest Stephen C Rattigan, who has also gone by the name Julius James, on charges of animal cruelty.
Authorities first began investigating Rattigan on Jan. 5 after a neighbor complained about a smell coming from his home.
Court documents say officers were wearing vests with the word "POLICE" on the front and "METROPOLITAN POLICE" on the back.
Upon knocking on the door, officers reportedly announced who they were before using their patrol vehicles' loudspeakers to make multiple announcements to Rattigan. After spotting a man matching Rattigan's description through a window, officers decided to use a breaching tool to get inside.
Officers Shot
Just after 8 a.m., officers partially opened the front door but were stopped by several aggressive dogs and a sergeant grabbed a fire extinguisher, which can be used to pacify aggressive animals. Court documents say this is when gunfire was heard coming from inside the home.
Three officers were hit by the gunfire as it came through the closed door. All three officers were hit in their lower left legs. One officer was also grazed by a bullet to his left arm, and another sustained bruising on his chest and back as the bullets hit his ballistic vest.
"The radio microphone on the center of [Officer's] chest had a defect consistent with bullet impact," the court document reads.
The officers retreated from the front door and across the front lawn, to seek cover.
A Barricade And A Phone Call
After the shooting, Rattigan remained inside the home and the 6th District Watch Commander declared a barricade situation.
During the hours-long standoff, Rattigan would sporadically shoot from inside the house.
While the situation unfolded, a Seventh District MPD officer missed a call from a man he knew as "Mike," later identified as Rattigan. The officer answered the second phone call from Rattigan, and the suspect told him that some people were at his home earlier in the day and out of fear, he shot multiple times through a door, court documents say.
The officer tried to calm Rattigan down and told him to walk outside with his hands up and surrender to the police, to which Rattigan reportedly refused saying he wouldn't surrender his dogs.
"They will have to kill me," Rattigan said, according to court documents.
The officer put Rattigan on hold and notified dispatch. Later, ERT Negotiators began talking to Rattigan. During their conversations, court documents allege that Rattigan said he shot at the door because he was under the impression that the police were going to harm him and his dogs.
"Rattigan said that he knew if the police came into his residence, his dogs were going to attack the police, resulting in the police killing his dogs so [Rattigan] fired warning shots at the door," court documents say.
Rattigan claimed he didn't even realize he had wounded any of the officers until a friend called him.
The court documents say Rattigan later admitted to the sporadic gunfire, saying he fired several rounds because it was taking too long for him to get his cigarettes.
Surrender After 13 Hours
During their conversations, police allege Rattigan said he doesn't take medication for any mental health issues, but that he is "not right" in the head and needs help.
According to court documents, officers were able to convince Rattigan to surrender and come outside, where was arrested and taken to the Sixth District for processing.
He was later live scanned and police discovered his true name is Stephen Rattigan.
While interviewing him, Rattigan reportedly denied shooting at police, denied knowing about any weapons and requested legal advice.
31 Dogs And A Disassembled Gun
After Rattigan was taken into custody, police searched the home he had been barricaded in and discovered 31 dogs inside.
According to the Humane Rescue Alliance, 20 adult dogs and 11 puppies were being kept inside the home, ranging in age from 2 months to several years old. They all appear to be American Bullies or some mix thereof.
The dogs were taken to the Humane Society for help.
Additionally, officials report that officers found a "disassembled handgun" on a bed in a second-floor bedroom.
"The slide, barrel, frame and extended magazine are separated from each other; no pieces of the firearm appear to be missing when viewed," court documents say. "As a result, the firearm itself is designed to be fired by the use of a single hand, has a barrel length of less than twelve inches, appears designed to expel a projectile by means of an explosive action and despite being disassembled, if reassembled, would appear to be fully functional."
Held Without Bond
Rattigan appeared in court Thursday, he faces charges of assault with intent to kill while armed, assault on a police officer while armed, and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for the barricade situation and wounded of the three MPD officers, as well as the previous animal cruelty charge.
Appearing before Superior Court Magistrate Judge Renee Raymond, Rattigan was ordered to be held without bond pending a preliminary hearing on Feb. 29.
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