Per the U.S. Attorney’s Office, DC: The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced that there is insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights or District of Columbia charges against two officers from the U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division who were involved in the fatal shooting, in April 2022, of 19-year-old Gordon Casey of Germantown outside an ambassador’s residence in Northwest Washington.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) conducted a comprehensive review of the incident. This included a review of law enforcement and civilian eyewitness accounts, physical evidence, recorded radio communications, forensic reports, the autopsy report, and reports from the Metropolitan Police Department.
According to the evidence, shortly before 8 a.m. on April 20, 2022, U.S. Secret Service officers were dispatched to the residence of the Peruvian Ambassador to the United States, following a report of a burglary in progress. Mr. Casey had been observed by staff of the residence breaking windows and attempting to enter the building. Staff members had attempted to stop Mr. Casey but were unable to do so after he armed himself with a metal pole.
When officers arrived, they gave Mr. Casey multiple commands to drop the metal pole. He refused to comply, and one of the officers deployed a taser. This had no apparent effect. Mr. Casey walked towards the officers and started swinging the pole at them. Two officers discharged their service weapons, striking Mr. Casey twice. Mr. Casey, 19, died at the scene.
After a careful, thorough, and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors have found insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officers used excessive force under the circumstances.