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By
D.C. Witness Staff
- February 20, 2024
Daily Stories
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Documents
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Shooting
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Suspects
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The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) successfully negotiated the surrender of a gunman who shot three officers, initiating an hours-long barricade on Feb. 14, on the 5000 block of Hanna Place, SE. This is an ongoing investigation.
According to MPD documents, officers responded to the location to serve an arrest warrant on a suspect who was wanted for cruelty to animals. While officers were outside the door to the residence, the suspect fired multiple gunshots through the door, striking three officers. A fourth officer sustained injuries that were not gunshot related.
The suspect then barricaded himself inside his residence and continued shooting sporadically throughout the standoff.
Members of the Emergency Response Team arrived on the scene and contacted the suspect by phone. After several hours of negotiation, the suspect surrendered.
As a result of the investigation, it was confirmed an involved member fired their weapon during the offense. The suspect was not injured. The use of force is being investigated by the Force Investigations Team.
Upon his surrender, the suspect identified himself to MPD as Julius James. After being booked on the charges, detectives determined his true identity is 48-year-old Stephen Claude Rattigan. He is known to have used Michael Rattigan as an alias.
Rattigan was arrested pursuant to the arrest warrant for animal cruelty. As a result of his actions during the attack on MPD officers and the detective’s investigation, he was also charged with felony assault on a police officer and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
On Feb. 15, detectives executed a search warrant at the home where the barricade occurred. They recovered three handguns, two rifles, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and a bullet proof vest.