Mayor Adrian Fenty has asked the FBI to help with the investigation into the shooting of a 14-year-old boy by an off-duty D.C. police officer.
Police on Friday also announced that the minibike that was stolen from the officer’s home has been recovered. Law enforcement sources said that it was found Wednesday night and turned over to the FBI.
D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier has asked the FBI to use forensics technology to help determine what happened Monday evening. FBI agents and the D.C. police use-of-force unit will also try to determine whether officers did anything wrong.
The shooting happened Monday night after Officer James Haskel, 44, learned that the minibike had been stolen from his home. Police said he and another off-duty officer, Anthony Clay, 43, reported that they drove around the neighborhood in a personal sport utility vehicle and confronted DeOnte Rawlings when they spotted him with the stolen minibike. Gunfire was exchanged ,and DeOnte was shot in the head and died.
A law enforcement source said Clay drove the SUV away from the scene because he was afraid the neighbors would recognize the vehicle and retaliate againsthis family. The vehicle had a bullet hole about a foot under the window, police said.
Officers have not recovered the .45-caliber weapon that was allegedly used by Rawlings. Law enforcement sources said GPS technology confirmed that two guns were fired at the scene. Fenty said it would be inappropriate to speculate whether he believed the officers were fired upon.
The mayor invited three of Rawlings’ sisters to a microphone set up Friday about a block from the scene of the shooting. The sisters said they felt “a little” better that an outside agency was investigating.
“The police destroyed the evidence at the scene,” Luella Rawlings said. “Why haven’t they found [the gun]? And why haven’t they been indicted?”
U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Taylor jumped in front of the microphone to assure them that his office will conduct a thorough investigation.
” I ask that you trust us, and give us a chance to do our job,” Taylor said.
The shooting has widened the distance between the D.C. police officers and the people they’re sworn to protect, residents said.
Louise Dixon, a resident’s council officer for the area where the shooting took place, Highland Dwellings, said she was surprised that an off-duty officer would have confronted the teenager without waiting for uniformed officers to help.
“To lose a life,” she asked, “just to get a bike back?”
