Man Killed After Allegedly Shooting Police Had Criminal History

US Park Police Motorcycle UnitPhoto byUS Park Police Website

Daylight Confrontation: Man with Extensive Criminal History Allegedly Shoots Park Police Officer. On Wednesday, a confrontation between multiple Park Police officers and a 30-year-old man suspected of a drug violation escalated into a gun battle, leaving one officer injured.

Reports uncovered a troubling criminal history associated with the alleged perpetrator, identified as Turell Campbell. Court records detail a disturbing past, notably a murder charge in 2015 related to an incident in Southwest D.C.'s Bellevue neighborhood, where the suspect was accused of killing a 25-year-old. Notably, the murder charge against Campbell was dropped later, citing an unspecified "government witness availability issue."

During the gunfire exchange near the D.C. Convention Center, Campbell, who was also shot, succumbed to his injuries after being transported to the hospital.

Campbell's criminal history extended beyond 2015, with charges in 2019 for selling crack cocaine in Penn Quarter. In 2020, he faced accusations of threatening to shoot a D.C. Housing Authority police officer, but both charges were subsequently dropped by prosecutors.

Further legal complications arose in 2020 when Campbell was arrested on gun and drug charges. Pleading guilty to the drug charges in December 2022, he received an 18-month probation sentence starting in February of the following year after the gun charge was dropped.

Disturbingly, Campbell was still on probation on the day of the incident when he allegedly opened fire on a Park Police officer. The wounded officer, whose identity remains undisclosed, sustained multiple gunshot wounds and is currently recovering in the hospital, according to Park Police statements to News4.

Law enforcement authorities have committed to releasing body camera footage from the shooting within 30 days. This incident stands out as one of the first fatalities involving Park Police where body-camera footage is available, marking a significant development since the department adopted body cameras in late 2022.

D.C. police are actively investigating the shooting, with oversight from the Internal Affairs Division's Forces Investigation Team, responsible for probing all officer-involved shootings in the city. The U.S. attorney's office will also conduct an independent review of the case. The recently appointed D.C. police chief, Pamela A. Smith, brings over two decades of experience with the U.S. Park Police to her role, including a tenure as its chief for a little over a year.

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Attributions

NBC Washington

Washington Post