D.C. Police: Man Fatally Shot by Deputy U.S. Marshal Threatened Woman with Gun

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A man who was fatally shot by a deputy U.S. marshal earlier this week in Northeast Washington had a gun and was threatening a woman outside a convenience store before the deadly confrontation, D.C. police said Friday in releasing new details of the incident. The U.S. Marshals Service and D.C. police are investigating the shooting.

Why it matters

The federal surge of law enforcement in D.C., along with similar actions in other cities, has raised concerns about heavy-handed tactics that often do not appear to conform to practices by local law enforcement. This incident highlights the need for clear oversight and coordination between federal and local authorities when conducting operations in urban areas.

The details

According to police, the 43-year-old victim, Julian Marquette Bailey, pointed a gun directly at law enforcement before he was fatally shot. Bailey's father disputes that account but said his son did carry a firearm. The incident occurred after marshals overheard a dispatch about an altercation involving a gun at a convenience store, and they pursued Bailey in his vehicle before the confrontation.

• On Wednesday afternoon, the U.S. Marshals were on or near Hayes Street NE when they overheard a D.C. police dispatch for an altercation involving a firearm inside a Circle 7 convenience store.
• The deadly confrontation between Bailey and the deputy U.S. marshal occurred on Wednesday afternoon.

What’s next

The D.C. police department's Internal Affairs Bureau's Force Investigations Team is looking into the incident and will submit its findings to the U.S. attorney's office, which will determine whether criminal charges are warranted. The U.S. Marshals Service will also investigate to determine whether the deputies acted according to their internal policies.