A National Guard member was shot while attempting to break up a street fight in downtown Washington, D.C. The suspect was also injured by return fire from the National Guard at the scene and was arrested by police.
Shortly past 11 p.m. on the night of the 18th, a brawl involving multiple individuals broke out outside an establishment near Eastern Market, a landmark in Washington, D.C.'s Capitol Hill neighborhood. U.S. National Guard members who were patrolling nearby at the time intervened to stop the fight.
According to a briefing by Acting D.C. Police Chief Jeffrey Carroll, as the fight escalated, one person in the group suddenly pulled out a handgun and began firing indiscriminately.
The National Guard members immediately ordered the suspect to drop the weapon, but the suspect instead pointed the gun at them and made threats. In a critical, life-threatening situation, the Guard members returned fire in self-defense.
During the exchange of gunfire, one National Guard member sustained a gunshot wound to the leg, and the shooter was also wounded by the return fire. Both individuals were immediately transported to nearby hospitals for treatment, and their injuries are reported to be non-life-threatening.
Police took the wounded suspect into custody following hospital treatment and stated that there is currently no ongoing threat to the public. Authorities are investigating the precise circumstances of the incident based on crime scene forensics and witness testimonies.
The incident has sent considerable shock through the local community, as military personnel deployed to maintain public order in the heart of the nation's capital became directly involved in a shootout. D.C. police have urged citizens with critical information regarding the case to come forward.