A veteran US Park Police officer was ambushed and shot by a pair of gunmen in Washington, DC, while working undercover Monday evening — and the two suspects remain on the lam, according to authorities.
The cop, who has not yet been identified, was shot around 7:30 p.m. near Queens Stroll Place in Southeast DC, the US Park Police confirmed in a statement.
The officer was “ambushed” by at least two gunmen while driving a Tesla in the area for an undercover law enforcement investigation, US Park Police Chief Scott Brecht said at a press conference late Monday.
The cop, who has not yet been identified, was shot around 7:30 p.m. near Queens Stroll Place in Southeast DC, the US Park Police confirmed in a statement. Kyle Mazza
The officer was “ambushed” by at least two gunmen while driving a Tesla in the area for an undercover law enforcement investigation, officials said. WUSA 9“During the gunfire, the officer was struck and continued traveling up the road where first aid was rendered,” Brecht told reporters.
The officer, whom authorities said was a veteran of the department, was shot in the upper body. He was taken by a police helicopter to a local hospital in non-life-threatening condition, the department added.
“This is an example of unnecessary gun violence in our city. There is no reason that anybody, a police officer, not a police officer, should be shot just for driving through the neighborhood,” Metropolitan Police Chief Jeffery Carroll told reporters.
The cop suffered non-life-threatening injuries, officials said. Kyle MazzaCarroll said that there is some indication the shooters were aware they were firing at a police officer despite the fact that he was riding in an unmarked vehicle, but the specifics are still under investigation. No words were exchanged between the victim and suspects before the gunfire erupted, he added.
Investigators are currently searching for two suspects they described as black men, one wearing a white hoodie and blue jeans, and the other wearing an all-black outfit with white stripes down his sleeves and pant legs.
No words were exchanged between the cop and suspects before the gunfire erupted. Kyle Mazza
The officer, whom authorities said was a veteran of the department, was shot in the upper body. WUSA 9
The two gunmen are still at large, cops said. Kyle Mazza“Praying for the Park Police officer shot in Washington, D.C. The FBI is actively supporting the investigation alongside our law enforcement partners and will bring those responsible to justice,” FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X.
US Attorney General Pamela Bondi also posted on X that she has spoken with DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and Chief Carroll and has been briefed on the shooting.
“Please pray for the officer’s recovery,” Bondi wrote.
Authorities warned locals to expect a heavy police presence in the area surrounding the crime scene.
