WASHINGTON, June 30, 2026 — A 13-year-old boy is in police custody and a manhunt is underway after a violent armed carjacking early Wednesday morning led to a high-speed pursuit and an officer-involved shooting in Southeast Washington.
According to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), an officer fired his service weapon during a foot pursuit after a suspect brandished a rifle. The encounter followed a midnight chase through the streets of the District’s Seventh District.
The Initial Carjacking
The incident began around 1:20 a.m. on Wednesday, June 24, in Northeast D.C.
- Location: 700 block of 19th Street Northeast.
- The Crime: Two individuals approached a victim sitting inside a vehicle. One of the suspects pointed a rifle directly at the victim and demanded the keys.
- The Escape: The victim complied and was unharmed. The suspects fled the scene in the stolen vehicle, described as a gray 2026 Honda Civic with D.C. license plates.
Pursuit into Southeast D.C.
Roughly 40 minutes after a citywide radio lookout was broadcast, officers spotted the stolen Honda Civic driving along Valley Avenue Southeast toward 9th Street. When officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop, the driver accelerated, prompting a vehicle pursuit.
The chase came to an end near the intersection of 2nd Street and Xenia Street SE, where the suspects abandoned the car and bolted on foot into a heavily wooded area along the Oxon Run Trail.
The Officer-Involved Shooting
Police quickly established a defensive perimeter and began a K9 and ground search. During the sweep, an officer in a patrol car noticed one of the suspects moving along the wood line in the 4000 block of Livingston Road SE.
According to police reports, the officer exited his vehicle and ordered the suspect to raise their hands. Instead, the suspect raised a rifle and pointed it directly at the officer. In response, the officer discharged his service weapon. The suspect immediately retreated back into the dense brush. Investigators stated there are currently no indications that anyone was struck or injured by the gunfire.
Arrests and Ongoing Investigation
A short time later, at approximately 2:15 a.m., officers located and arrested one of the fleeing suspects near where the vehicle was dumped. The individual was identified as a 13-year-old boy from Southeast D.C.. He has been formally charged with:
- Armed Carjacking
- Fleeing a Law Enforcement Officer
- Reckless Driving
Per standard department protocol, the MPD officer who fired his weapon has been placed on administrative leave. The department’s Internal Affairs Bureau Force Investigations Team is actively investigating the shooting, while detectives search for the second suspect who remains at large.
