A D.C. police officer shot and injured a suspect in Southeast on Tuesday after the man pulled out a gun and shot at him, the police chief said.
The officer was responding to the area of the 1700 block of Minnesota Avenue SE, where some reported the man using illegal narcotics on private property, Chief of Police Robert Contee said.
Contee said the officer "was actually very compassionate with that person," and asked him to leave the area instead of arresting the suspect.
As the officer left, he saw a gun tucked into the back of the suspect's waistband, Contee said. He trailed the suspect in his vehicle and then tried to stop him again. Then, the suspect fired at him, according to Contee.
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“The firearm was pulled on the officer. We know that the individual fired a shot. Thankfully that shot did not take effect. It did not hit our officer. It actually hit a nearby vehicle," Contee said.
The officers fired back in defense, injuring the suspect.
The man was taken to a hospital and has injuries that are not life-threatening.
The suspect, 40 year-old Ras Haile Menelik Salaam, of Southeast, was arrested and charged with assault on a police officer while armed.
“Today we got an illegal firearm off the street, our officer is OK and, thankfully, the person who challenged our officer today, it looks like he’s gonna be OK,” Contee said on Tuesday.
Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.
