A late-night fight on Barracks Row erupted into gunfire, leaving a National Guard member wounded and a 41-year-old suspect facing felony charges.
WASHINGTON, DC – A National Guard member was shot during a confrontation on Barracks Row in Southeast DC Sunday night after a man allegedly opened fire while fleeing a fight outside a business. Three Guardsmen returned fire, striking the suspect before he was detained and arrested, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.
The shooting unfolded around 11:10 p.m. October 18 in the 400 block of 8th Street Southeast, where National Guard personnel were assigned to patrol the busy commercial corridor. Police say the Guardsmen spotted a fight outside an establishment and attempted to intervene when one of the people involved pulled out a firearm.
The suspect allegedly fired toward the Guardsmen while trying to escape, striking one service member. The Guardsmen responded with gunfire, wounding the suspect, and both injured individuals were transported to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.
Fight on Barracks Row Erupts Into Gunfire
According to the Metropolitan Police Department, National Guard members were patrolling the Barracks Row corridor when they observed a confrontation outside an establishment.
The Guardsmen approached the disturbance and attempted to stop the fight.
Investigators say one of the people involved brandished a gun and began shooting.
The Guardsmen spotted the weapon and ordered the suspect to drop it, but police allege he attempted to flee while continuing to discharge his firearm toward them.
One National Guard member was struck by gunfire.
Three Guardsmen then fired their weapons toward the suspect, striking him during the encounter.
The wounded suspect was detained at the scene until Metropolitan Police Department officers arrived.
DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services personnel transported both the injured Guard member and the suspect to area hospitals.
Police described both individuals’ injuries as non-life-threatening.
Investigators recovered a firearm they identified as belonging to the suspect. The department also released a photograph of the recovered weapon with its serial number obscured to protect the investigation.
DC Man Charged After National Guard Shooting
Detectives identified the suspect as Jerrell Jackson, 41, of Southeast DC.
Jackson was arrested and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon involving a gun, assault on a police officer and emergency personnel, carrying a pistol without a license, and felon in possession of a firearm.
The charges stem from allegations that Jackson fired at National Guard personnel as they attempted to intervene in the disturbance.
According to the Metropolitan Police Department’s October 19 announcement, the suspect was detained after the exchange of gunfire and remained at the scene until MPD officers arrived.
Police have not identified the wounded Guardsman or disclosed the military units to which the personnel involved were assigned.
The department also has not explained what triggered the initial fight or identified the establishment outside which the disturbance occurred.
Jackson is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Three Guardsmen’s Use of Force Under Investigation
The shooting has triggered a separate investigation into the National Guard members’ use of deadly force.
MPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau Force Investigations Team is examining the incident, including the circumstances in which three Guardsmen discharged their weapons.
The First District Detective Unit is also investigating the underlying shooting and criminal allegations against Jackson.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office will independently review the facts and evidence gathered during the investigation.
The review will examine the evidence surrounding the encounter, including the shooting that wounded the National Guard member and the subsequent use of firearms by the three Guardsmen.
Authorities have not announced findings about whether the Guardsmen’s actions were justified.
The incident occurred on Barracks Row, a Southeast DC corridor known for its restaurants, bars and nightlife establishments. A separate shooting-related incident on the same block was investigated earlier this year, although police have reported no connection between the cases.
Anyone with information about Sunday’s shooting is asked to contact MPD at 202-727-9099 or text a tip to 50411.
The investigation remains active as detectives and federal prosecutors review the circumstances of the confrontation.