Two people have been arrested after a U.S. Park Police officer was wounded by gunfire Monday evening while driving an unmarked vehicle near the Washington, D.C., border with Maryland, authorities said. The arrests, announced Tuesday, shift attention to whether the shooting was a targeted attack on the officer.
Washington Metropolitan Police identified the suspects as Darren Foster, 21, and Asheile Foster, 22. Both face charges of assault on a federal police officer (gun), according to the department.
The injured officer, whose name has not been released, was conducting an inquiry in the Park Police’s jurisdiction when two people in another vehicle opened fire as he passed, officials said. He managed to drive away from the scene and was later flown to a local hospital.
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A law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the officer was struck in the shoulder. He was treated and released the following day.
- When: Shooting occurred Monday evening; arrests announced Tuesday.
- Where: Neighborhood near the D.C.–Maryland border, in Park Police jurisdiction.
- Victim: Park Police officer driving an unmarked vehicle; shot in the shoulder; medevacked to hospital and released.
- Suspects: Darren Foster, 21, and Asheile Foster, 22 — charged with assault on a federal officer (gun).
- Investigation: Federal authorities are assisting local police.
At a briefing Monday, Washington’s interim police chief, Jeffery Carroll, said investigators believe the officer was deliberately targeted and that the shooters may have been aware he was a law enforcement officer. Officials did not elaborate on a possible motive or how the suspects were identified and located.
Federal involvement signals prosecutors could pursue charges in federal court if the evidence supports them. Investigators continue to piece together the sequence of events and are asking anyone with information or video of the area at the time to come forward.
The case underscores ongoing risks faced by officers working in plain clothes or in unmarked vehicles, and officials say they are reviewing circumstances surrounding the incident as part of the criminal inquiry.
