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Federal officials announced on Thursday, Feb. 23 that there is insufficient evidence to pursue criminal civil rights charges against MPD Commander Jason Bagshaw, who runs the agency’s Special Operations Division, for his role in the July 2022 shooting of Lazarus Wilson in the Wharf neighborhood in Southwest, DC.
Shortly after 9 p.m. on Saturday, July 16 last year, Bagshaw was dining with his wife, an investigator with the department, at a restaurant in the Wharf neighborhood while he was off-duty and equipped with his service weapon.
Prosecutors say that while dining, Bagshaw and his wife observed a “commotion” in the area, during which patrons and employees at the restaurant began crouching and crawling away, prompting the pair to walk toward the incident to investigate.
When they exited the restaurant, Wilson was seen pointing a firearm at another person in an apparent attempted robbery attempt. The gun was later recovered at the scene, they noted.
Bagshaw retrieved his Glock 17 service pistol from its holster, pointed it in the direction of Wilson and shouted, “MPD, drop the gun!” However, he did not comply, and Bagshaw discharged one round striking Wilson in the left cheek.
Wilson was rushed by DC Fire and EMS personnel to George Washington University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead later that night.
Officials said that after a “thorough, and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors found insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Commander Bagshaw used excessive force under the circumstances.”
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