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Metropolitan Police Sgt. Enis Jevric, 41, was charged by way of federal indictment on Tuesday, March 7 with a federal civil rights violation and second-degree murder. He appeared before the Honorable Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
Gilmore, of Capitol Heights, MD, 27, had a visible handgun in his waistband when Metropolitan Police officers and other officers found him asleep with his foot on the brake pedal, blocking traffic on New York Avenue NE on Aug. 25, 2021, the MPD said.
A ballistic shield was deployed as officers tried engaging with Gilmore, who eventually woke up and started moving the vehicle forward, police said. Gilmore proceeded forward as officers told him to stop, Jevric fired his service weapon, killing Gilmore, according to the MPD and federal authorities.
Gilmore's death prompted a social justice movement, including various rallies, social media accounts and campaigns.
"We thoroughly investigate every incident where one of our fellow citizens dies during an interaction with law enforcement,” U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves said. “We have found that most officers use force only when necessary.
"In these investigations, we follow the evidence and the law. In the overwhelming majority of these cases, criminal charges would not be appropriate. But when an officer willfully disregards the safety of a citizen he is sworn to protect, he violates the trust placed in him by virtue of his badge."
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