Three police officers injured in Washington standoff triggered by attempted animal cruelty arrest

Three police officers were injured in an attempted arrest for animal cruelty in Washington, resulting in hours-long standoff

An attempted arrest for animal cruelty in Washington on Wednesday resulted in an hours-long standoff that injured three police officers, according to the authorities.

Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department Pamela Smith claimed that the officers’ wounds included wounds at their wrists and feet, while the fourth officer at the scene was hurt but not shot. The Metropolitan Police Department said they were getting medical attention at nearby hospitals. 

A police spokesperson said that hours after opening fire on law officials, the gunman was still holed up in a house in the southeast of the city and was still firing rounds.

The standoff started on Wednesday morning when authorities attempted to make an arrest pursuant to an animal abuse warrant, but the suspect would not leave the property, according to police. Someone inside the house started shooting as police tried to break in.

Chief Smith stressed, “The person has continued to fire from that location, and this is still an active situation.” while saying that while pushing for laws to toughen punishments for gun crimes in the nation’s capital, crisis mediators were conversing with the suspect.

According to police union leader Gregg Pemberton, one officer was shot twice, but the bullets were stopped by a bulletproof vest. According to Pemberton, four cops suffered hand injuries at the site, while two policemen were hit in the lower limbs.

“We hope that they will soon return to duty, but we anticipate that some may have a lengthy recuperation,” Pemberton said.

It took some time for the authorities to determine whether the person shooting at the cops was the target of the arrest warrant. The southeast part of the city saw the implementation of road closures and school lockdowns, and as the crisis developed, authorities advised the public to avoid the area.

The event took place amid a major upsurge in violent crime in the District of Columbia, which increased by 39% in 2023. A 35% rise in killings and an almost twofold increase in carjackings were the main causes of the escalation.

President Joe Biden’s wishes for the full recovery of the injured policemen were extended by White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who also reaffirmed the need for further legislative action on weapons, saying “This shooting serves as yet another painful and upsetting reminder of the toll gun violence takes on our communities, our families, and, most obviously, our country,” 

Source: AP