Site of the death of Mr. Clifford Brooks | 1300 block of North Capitol Street NW DC

This tragic situation occurred on a very busy section of North Capitol Street, within site of the US Capitol dome. May there be justice and peace for all concerned.

From a DC Police report: Agents from the Force Investigation Team of the Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) Internal Affairs Bureau are investigating an MPD officer-involved shooting that occurred on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, in the 1300 block of North Capitol Street NW. At approximately 6:43 a.m., officers responded to the 2500 block of Benning Road, Northeast, for a man experiencing a mental health crisis. Over the next two hours, the responding officers spoke with the man, successfully deescalating the situation. DC Fire and EMS then began transporting the man to an area hospital for additional treatment, and the responding officers followed behind the ambulance. During the transport, the man became combative and attacked the firefighter/paramedic who was riding with him, pinning her against the inside wall of the ambulance. She was able to slip out the side door of the ambulance and flee, and the man followed her outside. The officers that were following the ambulance went to stop the man, who lunged at and grabbed one of them. The officer attempted to stop the assaultive behavior by deploying OC spray and giving verbal commands. The OC spray did not take effect, and the man fled into traffic. The officer requested that additional units and an official respond to the scene to assist them. The man then crawled underneath a nearby truck and emerged with a metal object clenched in his right hand. The officer directed the man to drop the metal object, but he refused and moved towards him with the object raised. The officer retreated backwards and again directed the man to drop the metal object. The man charged towards the officer, grabbed at him, and swung the metal object at him. At that time, the officer discharged his firearm, striking the man. The ambulance crew that was on scene attempted life-saving measures. After all efforts failed, the man was pronounced dead. He has been identified as 41-year-old Clifford Brooks, of Northeast, DC.

The MPD member involved is a 31-year-veteran of the department, a Crisis Intervention Officer, and a member of the Emergency Response Team’s Auxiliary Negotiator Unit. He has been placed on administrative leave, pursuant to MPD policy. The officer activated his body worn camera. Body worn camera footage will be released pursuant to District of Columbia law. https://mpdc.dc.gov/release/mpd-investigating-officer-involved-shooting