A standoff which lasted over 12 hours between Washington DC officers and a suspect has now come to an end, after police negotiated his surrender, according to the DC Police Department.
Three officers of the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC, were injured after a suspect began firing and barricaded himself in his home. A fourth officer also sustained injuries that were not gunshot-related.
The multi-hour standoff began when police arrived at a southeast Washington, DC home around 7.30 am local time to serve a warrant for animal cruelty. It was at that time the shooting began.
The police said that the suspect then barricaded himself inside his residence and continued shooting sporadically throughout the standoff.
But his surrender was “successfully negotiated” and he has been charged with cruelty to animals, with additional charges for the assault on the officers pending.
Police said that the suspect – Julius James, 46 – is now in police custody.
Mr James was arrested and charged with Cruelty to Animals and additional charges for the assault on the officers are pending.
When asked to expand on the animal cruelty charges, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith focused instead on the officers wounded when serving the warrant.
“So let me not be glib about my response to your question specifically related to the animals,” Ms Smith said. “I don’t want it to be lost on anyone today that we’ve had three officers who were shot with the Metropolitan Police Department. Three of our officers were shot today, serving an arrest warrant on someone who was cruel to animals.”
“The same type of response that we provide for our officers, we have that same care for animals as well, but I don’t want it to be lost on anyone today that the reason why we are here right now is because three of our officers have been shot,” she continued.