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Shortly after 12:40 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon, a witness tipped off the agency about a man who was walking in a park across from the station in the area of Delaware Avenue and Columbus Circle in Northeast DC, prompting a heavy police response in the area.
Officers found the man, Atlanta resident Ahmir Lavon Merrell, 21, who was already wanted in Georgia for a probation violation, carrying a rifle with one hand and they ordered him to drop it, though he initially refused, forcing first responders to hit him with a Taser-like device that allowed them to make the arrest.
The incident led to several road closures in the area and the park was temporarily shut down to the public while investigators searched the area, and Merrell's belongings for any additional weapons.
“See something, say something’ is not just an empty slogan. We are grateful for the individual who alerted our officer to the man with a gun in the park,” USCP Chief Tom Manger said. “These cops immediately ran toward the man with the loaded gun. As always -- I am proud of our cops.”
According to the department, while the investigation is ongoing, it remains unclear what Merrell was doing in the nation's capital. He was arrested and charged with:
- Felon in possession of a firearm;
- Unregistered ammunition;
- Unregistered firearm;
- Fugitive from justice;
- Unlawful activities.
Check Daily Voice for updates when more information is released by investigators.
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