WASHINGTON, D.C. — Marcellus Dyson Jr., 17, of Suitland, Maryland, will be charged as an adult in the shooting of an off-duty firefighter late Saturday in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced.
Dyson faces charges of armed robbery, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and aggravated assault while armed. He is expected to make his initial appearance in D.C. Superior Court on Tuesday.
Joining Pirro in the announcement were FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox and Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela A. Smith.
According to court documents, the firefighter was off duty and walking home from a party around 10:30 p.m. when he was approached near 8th and C streets NE by a male wearing a surgical mask. The man pointed a gun at the firefighter and demanded, “Give me everything you got.”
The firefighter handed over his cell phone, but the gunman demanded he unlock it and provide access to Apple Pay. When the firefighter hesitated, the gunman pressed the barrel of the weapon into his chest. A struggle followed, and the gun discharged, striking the firefighter in the chest and injuring the shooter’s hand.
The suspect fled, then returned toward the victim and the firearm. The firefighter picked up the gun first and fired two shots at the suspect, who then ran north on 8th Street NE and east on C Street NE.
The firefighter removed his shirt to stop the bleeding and tried to call 911, but the call did not go through. A neighbor arrived, saw him struggling to get help and used a firehouse phone number provided by the victim to alert colleagues. Police officers arrived soon after, and medics transported the firefighter to a trauma center.
Meanwhile, on the 400 block of 9th Street NE, a witness reported that a man approached her claiming he had been shot during a robbery attempt. Police found Dyson with the witness and took him into custody. While en route to the hospital, Dyson allegedly told officers, “I’m sorry and I won’t do it again,” a statement captured on body-worn camera.
The case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department with assistance from the FBI Washington Field Office and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Authorities emphasized that the charges are allegations and Dyson is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.