WASHINGTON — A Maryland man was arrested Wednesday night in connection with a handgun discarded along I-295 in Northeast Washington, D.C., which later discharged and killed Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Investigator Wayne David, authorities announced.
Tyrell Lamont Bailey, 27, of Hillcrest Heights, was charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, and unlawfully discarding a firearm and ammunition. Bailey made his initial court appearance Thursday in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The charges stem from an incident on August 28, 2024, when officers from MPD’s Robbery Suppression Unit were patrolling near the 1600 block of Kenilworth Avenue NE. According to court documents, officers spotted a man with long black dreadlocks running away from them while holding his waistband, suggesting he was carrying a concealed firearm. As he fled, the man crossed into a public housing complex and then jumped a wall bordering I-295, dropping an object into a storm drain on the highway shoulder before escaping on a motorcycle.
Investigator Wayne David, 52, attempted to retrieve the discarded firearm from the storm drain when it discharged, fatally striking him. Forensic investigators later recovered a Smith & Wesson M+P Shield .40 caliber handgun with an obliterated serial number from the scene.
Authorities identified Bailey as the suspect after reviewing surveillance footage related to the incident.
