Those officials said Cmdr. Jason Bagshaw, a 20-year veteran who became a recognizable and sometimes controversial presence at demonstrations throughout the city over the past three years, ordered the man to drop the weapon and fired at least twice when the man did not comply.
The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, said police are investigating the possibility that Bagshaw interrupted an armed robbery. Bagshaw was not in uniform at the time, according to police and a video showing the aftermath of the shooting.
The shooting, which occurred shortly after 9 p.m. in the 800 block of Wharf Street SW, sent people running for cover along a string of restaurants and clubs in one of the District’s newly minted and upscale nightlife areas known as the Wharf. Coming amid a rise in homicides and just a month after a 15-year-old was fatally shot during an event on U Street, the incident renewed fears about safety for some in the city, particularly at popular social hubs.
Police did not officially identify Bagshaw on Sunday; D.C. law allows them five business days to identify officers involved in serious use-of-force cases and make videos from their body-worn cameras public.
Police identified the man who was killed as Lazarus David Wilson, 23, from Dumfries, Va. Police said he had come to the Wharf with another Virginia man and got into a confrontation with a group of young men from the District. A relative of Wilson’s said she would pass along a reporter’s contact information to the man’s mother; efforts to reach others were not successful. Police said a man with the group from D.C. was grazed by a bullet.
Three officials familiar with the investigation said one person involved told police that the dispute was over the sale of watches, but those officials cautioned that account could not be confirmed. Two of the officials said police found a bag containing $30,000 with the man who died.
Police said they are trying to sort out what happened. The officials said it appears Wilson and the other man met up with the men from the District, and some sort of dispute or altercation occurred as they walked along the waterfront street.
D.C. Police Chief Robert J. Contee III said a video from a security camera shows “an armed individual pointing a gun.” In a statement issued Sunday, police said Bagshaw and the other officer — who officials later identified as Bagshaw’s wife — “voiced a command for the suspect to drop the firearm and the suspect did not comply.” It was not immediately clear if Wilson pointed the gun at officers. It also could not be determined if Bagshaw identified himself as an officer.
No criminal charges have been filed in the case.
As with all D.C. police officers involved in a shooting, Bagshaw has been put on administrative leave, authorities said. He was promoted in April to run the Special Operations Division, overseeing tactical officers, civil-disturbance units, domestic security, traffic safety and special events, which includes planning and handling large-scale demonstrations.
He has received numerous awards from the department. But he also has been singled out by activist groups who questioned his conduct handling demonstrations, particularly those involving racial justice after the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis. Bagshaw is seen in many videos engaging and confronting demonstrators.
Efforts to reach Bagshaw by telephone Sunday were not successful, and he did not respond to an email sent to his department account. A police spokesman confirmed that Bagshaw received the messages and said that he did not…
Read More: D.C. police commander Jason Bagshaw fatally shot armed man at Wharf
