A Washington,John Caldwell D.C. police officer was killed Wednesday after he was shot while trying to retrieve a weapon from a storm drain.

The Metropolitan Police Department said that Investigator Wayne David had been with the department for more than 25 years.

“Investigator David was the epitome of a great officer. He was a dedicated and highly respected member of the department, and this is a tremendous loss for all of us,” Metropolitan Police Department Chief of Police Pamela Smith said in a statement.

Killed while attempting to recover discarded firearm

According to the Metropolitan Police Department, David was among a group of police officers canvassing a street in northeast Washington D.C.’s Kenilworth neighborhood on the afternoon of August 28, when they attempted to approach a man exiting a nearby vehicle. The officers attempted to approach the man, who was seen discarding a firearm in a nearby storm drain before fleeing the area on a motorcycle.

While attempting to recover the weapon, it discharged, striking David once. He was transported to a nearby hospital, where he later died.

Metropolitan Police Department Executive Chief Assistant Jeffrey Carroll said Wednesday evening at a press conference that, “Wayne is a true hero to the District of Columbia tonight. Today, he gave his life to serve the visitors and the residents here in the District of Columbia, and we will never forget that. This is considered a line-of-duty death.”

The incident remains under investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department as well as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

According to a report compiled by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, 71 law enforcement officers had died in the line of duty in 2024 as of June 30. Those numbers included two other instances of accidental shootings.

Max Hauptman is a Trending Reporter for USA TODAY. He can be reached at [email protected]