A man was shot by the officers of the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, DC at around 3 a.m. (7:00 GMT) and later died in a hospital after he was found asleep behind the wheel of his car at a traffic light and allegedly pulled out a gun once awakened, Police Chief Robert Contee said on Wednesday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th August, 2021) A man was shot by the officers of the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, DC at around 3 a.m. (7:00 GMT) and later died in a hospital after he was found asleep behind the wheel of his car at a traffic light and allegedly pulled out a gun once awakened, Police Chief Robert Contee said on Wednesday.
"Shots were fired by a police officer, striking the individual," Contee said. "He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced deceased at this time."
Contee said that the police officers noticed a gun in the waistband area of the individual but whether the man fired his weapon is being investigated at the moment. After the shots were fired, the individual drove his car for a few blocks and crashed it into a grassy area, Contee said.
"Because the shooting occurred at one location and the vehicle came to rest at a different location, we had to close down a lot of streets in the area," Contee said.
A number of major US cities have been experiencing an increasing number of crimes involving firearms. The cities of New York, Chicago and the District of Columbia among others continue to record an unprecedented surge of violent, gun-related crimes.
New York State last month declared a state of emergency against gun violence, with then-Governor Andrew Cuomo signing into law a bill that enables suing firearms makers for being a public nuisance.
