Some roads in Northeast Washington as well as Prince George’s County, Md., and parts of the Beltway will be closed to traffic Thursday afternoon as a veteran D.C. police officer killed by a gun he was trying to recover is laid to rest.
By Emily Davies
The road closures, according to the D.C. police department, are expected between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. in the following areas:
- Allentown Road from Lumar Drive to the on-ramp to the Outer Loop of the Capital Beltway at Forestville Road
- The Outer Loop of the Capital Beltway/NB I-95/I-495 from Allentown Road to US-50
- WB US-50 from the Capital Beltway to the D.C. line
- Both directions of New York Avenue Northeast from Bladensburg Road Northeast to the Maryland line
- Bladensburg Road Northeast from New York Avenue Northeast to 38th Avenue in Colmar Manor, Md.
David’s passing marks the D.C. police department’s first line-of-duty death in four years. He was seen as central to the culture of the department and an expert in crime fighting, his peers have said. He trained multiple colleagues who later rose to top leadership roles; he was widely beloved for his relentless ability to find and create joy.
David died doing what his colleagues say he knew how to do as well as anyone: recover guns. The 25-year veteran was among the original members of the gun recovery unit, and he worked in the unit beyond his retirement age.
He was called for that routine yet dangerous task Aug. 28, after a Maryland man fleeing police officers discarded a loaded Smith & Weston firearm into a storm drain in Northeast Washington. It landed two or three feet down in the drain, officials said, which was covered by a grate.
Officials said David used a metal tool, which is typically used to unlock car doors, to try to reach the weapon when suddenly it discharged, striking him in the head.
Police later arrested Tyrell Bailey, 27, on three weapons-related charges, including a count of unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction. They said he was the man who discarded the gun that killed their colleague.
“It’s a great tragedy to our community, it’s a great tragedy to our police department, with the loss of Wayne,” said Executive Assistant Chief Jeffery Carroll, who was trained by David in 2003 and appeared emotional at a previous news conference about the case. “That’s all I can really say.”
