On Sept. 12, Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser told media that the officer involved in a fatal shooting on Sunday did not have his body cam on.
According to FOX 5 D.C., Fort Washington, Maryland resident Terrence Sterling was riding his motorcycle erratically before officers pulled him over at 4:30 a.m.
Officers report that the 31-year-old struck a police vehicle before officers shot at him.
“Officers found the vehicle over here at the intersection of 3rd and M Streets, Northwest. It is about a block north of New York Avenue,” D.C. Police Assistant Chief Peter Newsham tells reporters. “They were able to stop the vehicle. The person who was riding the motorcycle attempted to flee and ended up striking the police car. At that point, shots were fired. The victim was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.”
In a Monday news conference, Bowser says she reached out to Sterling’s relatives.
She said only the aftermath of the incident was captured on camera — events leading up to the shooting were not.
FOX 5 reports that officers involved were required to turn on their body cams before any encounter begins. But they failed to do so.
The officers were placed on administrative leave for failing to adhere to protocol.
Sterling was an HVAC technician for a contracting firm for nearly a decade.
At this time, media is not aware if the family has retained an attorney.
