Police Chief Robert J. Contee III said a semiautomatic firearm was recovered at the scene
Two off-duty police officers in Washington D.C. were involved in a shooting incident Saturday night that left one person dead and another injured, officials said.
The shooting took place in the area of The Wharf, a travel destination with restaurants and entertainment venues, around 9 p.m., authorities said.
Police Chief Robert J. Contee III addressed a group of reporters near the scene where the shooting took place, where he said the two unidentified officers “just happened to be in the area” when they noticed “an armed individual pointing a handgun” and “took action.”
“Our officers engaged that person who was carrying the firearm,” Contee said.
At least one shot was fired” by police, the chief added.
The man holding the weapon suffered at least one gunshot wound and another person was grazed by a bullet, he said.
That person “suffered a non-life-threatening graze wound and has been transported to a hospital for treatment,” Contee continued.
Both the deceased person and the one who was injured are male. Neither police officer was injured.
The police chief said the information was preliminary and that police are still “digging into what happened.” The surviving victim is being treated as a witness of the crime and is cooperating with authorities, he added.
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Contee was asked by a reporter if the armed man initially shot and the police acted or if the police shot first. The police chief told reporters he did not know the series of events leading up to the shooting.
Contee referenced seeing a “videotape” of the incident but said it did not show where the injured person was initially pointing his gun.
“Clearly this was a very brazen individual to display a firearm in one of our entertainment areas and I am glad no one else was injured as a result of this,” the chief also said.
A semiautomatic handgun was recovered at the scene, he said.