DC police officer accidentally shot, killed while retrieving gun from storm drain

A Washington, DC, police officer died Wednesday after a gun he was trying to retrieve from a storm drain accidentally went off and shot him in the head, officials said.

Wayne David, a member of the Metropolitan Police Department for over 25 years, was on duty when he was struck by the accidental gunfire.

He was rushed to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries, the D.C. Police Union wrote on X .

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“Wayne is a true hero to the District of Columbia, and today he gave his life to serve the visitors and the residents here,” Executive Assistant Chief Jeffery Carroll said during a news conference. “We will never forget that.”

According to Carroll, earlier in the day Wednesday, officers saw someone jump out of a suspicious vehicle and throw a gun into a storm drain before fleeing on the back of a motorcycle.

Police were trying to get the gun out of the drain when it went off, striking David at least once, Carroll said.

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Police are searching for the suspect who placed the gun in the drain, he added.

Police released photos of the suspect, who was described as a man with long dreads, last seen wearing a white T-shirt and blue shorts.

“The impact of guns on our community is unbearable. It is hard to accept that a man who came to work to protect our city won’t return home,” DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a statement. “Tonight, I am praying for Investigator David’s family and loved ones and I’m praying for the officers who put themselves in harm’s way every day to protect DC.”

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The police investigation into the shooting is ongoing.

During his decades of service, David had recovered hundreds of guns across the city, Caroll said , according to WTOP.

With Post wires

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