Federal civil rights investigation opened into fatal police shooting of teen in D.C.

The Department of Justice has opened a civil rights investigation into the fatal police shooting of 17-year-old Dalaneo Martin in Northeast D.C., the U.S. Attorney's Office announced. 

The probe comes one day after U.S. Park Police (USPP) released body cam footage of the March 18 shooting, which the U.S. Attorney's Office described as "extremely upsetting."

"The loss of a life is always tragic but is especially heartbreaking when it involves a child," the U.S. Attorney's Office in D.C. said in a statement. 

On the morning of March 18, Metropolitan Police received a call of a suspicious vehicle, the USPP said. When officers arrived they determined the car was stolen and called for assistance from U.S. Park Police. 

When USPP officers arrived, they found Martin asleep in the driver's seat with the ignition punched, USPP said. 

Body cam footage shows one of the officers jumping into the backseat of the vehicle and yelling, "Police, don't move!" before the car suddenly accelerates with one USPP officer inside and another being dragged outside the vehicle. 

The body cam footage of the officer inside the car captured him telling Martin to stop while grabbing at him. Martin is seen pushing the officer off, saying, "Get off of me."

The officer then pulls out his gun and yells: "Stop man, just let me out. Let me go!" before warning Martin: "Stop! stop or I'll shoot!"

The car continues to accelerate and the officer fires several rounds at Martin before the vehicle crashes into a house, footage shows. No one in the home was injured, USPP said. 

Body cam footage also captured officers rendering aid to Martin, who ultimately died on the scene, USPP said. 

Martin's mother said Wednesday that the medical examiner told her Martin had been shot six times and that he had died instantly.

Both U.S Park Police officers were taken to a local hospital for treatment, according to the USPP. 

Police later recovered a gun from inside the vehicle, USPP said.

"This pain hurts so bad," Martin's mother said Wednesday at a press conference. "I just want justice for my son. And I need the officer to be locked up. All of them that played a role."

In:
• Police Shooting
• Civil Rights

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