Man fatally shot by officer was carrying BB gun
The man fatally shot by police in Southeast D.C. on Tuesday was carrying a BB gun, D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier said.
Police identified him Wednesday as 18-year-old Rafael Briscoe.
Lanier said officers were on the 2400 block of Elvans Road SE because of a report of gunshots. The officers saw Briscoe, who appeared to be carrying a handgun, and ordered him to stop. A police officer fired shots after a short pursuit.
“There’s no way an officer in a split-second decision when confronted with a gun can determine if it’s a BB gun or a real gun,” Lanier said.
MS-13 members get life in prison
Two convicted MS-13 members were sentenced to life in prison for their roles in the slaying of a rival gang member.
Prosecutors said 24-year-old Melvin Sorto was sentenced Wednesday to life plus 45 years and 22-year-old Jose Gutierrez was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison plus 125 years. A third MS-13 member, 26-year-old William Cordova, was sentenced in March to life in prison plus 150 years.
A federal jury in D.C. convicted the three men in December of racketeering charges that included murder. The three were involved in the April 2007 murder of Edwin Ventura in Columbia Heights.
– Emily Babay
