A U.S. marshal who was on duty near Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s home in Washington D.C. was involved in a shooting incident when an armed man attempted to carjack him. The marshal was inside an unmarked federal vehicle when a silver Toyota minivan stopped beside him, and an 18-year-old man named Kentrell Flowers got out of the van and pointed a handgun at the marshal through the window.
In response, the marshal fired four shots at Mr. Flowers, hitting him in the mouth. Another marshal from a different vehicle also fired their weapon. The first marshal provided first aid to Mr. Flowers before he was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Mr. Flowers was charged with armed carjacking, carrying a pistol without a license, and possession of a large-capacity ammunition-feeding device. The driver of the car that was carjacked managed to escape from the scene.
The Metropolitan Police Department launched an investigation into the incident, which took place in the Shaw neighborhood. The marshals involved in the shooting were part of the unit responsible for protecting the residences of U.S. Supreme Court justices. The U.S. Marshals Service spokesperson mentioned that they do not usually disclose details regarding protective details.
It is worth noting that carjackings in the area have decreased by almost 50% compared to the previous year, according to crime data from the Metropolitan Police Department. The overall crime rate in the District of Columbia has also seen a 17% decrease from the previous year.
Glenn Thrush, the journalist covering the Department of Justice, has extensively written about gun violence, civil rights, and the conditions in jails and prisons across the country.
