Photo: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
An off-duty FBI agent fatally shot a man on a crowded Washington DC train platform. during rush hour Wednesday afternoon, police said.
The
officer special and the man got into a fight and rolled eight feet off the platform inside the Metro Center station around 6: 12 pm before that the officer shot the man several times, killing him, reported the DC police during a press conference.
Washington DC Deputy Police Chief Ashan Benedict said the slain man appeared to have started the altercation
and the officer, whom he described as a “veteran”, is believed to be the victim.
“The man assaulted the agent and the couple got into a fight. One grabbed the other and they both fell over a wall into a lower hallway away from the tracks,” Benedict said.
“The fight continued on the lower level until the off-duty officer drew his gun and shot the other man”, he said.
It is unclear if the murdered man had a firearm. None were recovered when the press conference was held about two hours later.
The officer was taken to an area hospital for be treated for minor injuries.
The sound of gunshots echoing through the busy station caused panic among passengers and suspended service throughout the Red Line.
Witnesses said they saw dozens of people running out of the station and people lying on the ground when they heard the shots, according to social media reports.
At least one train went straight through the station without stopping, apparently after the conductor heard the shots.
“Really grateful for the quick reaction and attention from our rail operator tonight, whose response during tonight’s incident involving a shooting at @wmata Metro Center kept customers out of potential danger,” Metro CEO and CEO Randy Clarke tweeted.
DC Police are leading the investigation into the shooting with the FBI help.