Washington D.C. – A D.C. police officer was wounded Thursday in a fatal exchange of gunfire with a man in Southeast Washington had graduated from the police academy three weeks earlier, the department said in a statement Friday night.

That officer, who authorities have not publicly identified, was discharged from the hospital Friday afternoon, a police spokesman said.

Police identified the man who was killed as Arthur Porter, 33, of Northwest Washington. Acting police chief Pamela A. Smith told reporters Thursday that at least two officers fired at the man during a foot pursuit that ended in the 2800 block of Gainesville Street SE, lined with two- and three-story apartment buildings.

“Today’s incident is another reminder of the dangers that our officers face when dealing with illegal firearms in the city,” Smith said. Violent crime in D.C. is up nearly 40 percent this year, compared with the same period in 2022. Homicides are up 34 percent, with gun violence frequently cited as a primary contributor.

The officer graduated from the academy September 29 as part of Recruit Class 2023-01. The department published photos from the graduation ceremony on social media Oct. 3.

The Washington Post reported that the wounded officer was among 21 members who had completed 28 weeks of training and had just embarked on his four months of field training with a more experienced officer. Officials said that certified training officer, on the force 15 years, was with him Thursday night.

Source: www.lawofficer.com