No charges against two cops who shot violent DC interrupter

WASHINGTON – No charges will be filed against two police officers who shot and killed a man in southeast D.C., the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

The USAO said there was insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal charges or charges in the District of Columbia against the officers who fatally shot 25-year-old Justin Robinson on September 1, 2024.

The USAO says their office, along with the D.C. Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division, conducted a comprehensive review of physical evidence, surveillance video, body-worn camera footage, audio and video footage from nearby video cameras, witness statements, autopsy records and reports MPD.

Prehistory:

The fatal incident began when police responded to a call about a traffic accident near the McDonald’s on Marion Berry Avenue around 5:20 a.m. on September 1.

D.C. Police received a report of a vehicle that crashed into a McDonald’s in the 2500 block of Marion Berry Avenue in southeast D.C.

DC and EMS officers and firefighters responded to the scene where they found Robinson, apparently unresponsive, sitting in the driver’s seat of the vehicle.

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Police say Robinson sat unconscious in his car in a driveway outside a McDonald’s for about an hour before it drove forward and crashed into the building. Police say they saw a gun in Robinson’s lap during the investigation.

Backup was called, and officers say when Robinson began to wake up, they repeatedly asked him to put down his weapon and put his hands up.

When the officer reached into the car to try to take the gun from Robinson, a fight broke out as Robinson refused to drop his gun and grabbed it, police said.

Police say they warned Robinson to take his hand off the gun, but he continued to struggle. That’s when the two officers fired a total of 11 shots from their service pistols, hitting him.

After Robinson was shot, officers took the gun that Robinson had and removed it from the car. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

What they say:

The USAO claims that “after a thorough, thorough and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors did not find sufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the MPD officers were criminally responsible for Mr. Robinson’s death.”

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Robinson’s family spoke to FOX 5 following the fatal shooting. They say he was violence interrupter for “Heal the streets” program.which was aimed at reducing gun violence.

“It’s been Justin’s dream to be involved in nonprofits and help the community since he was a little kid,” said Robinson’s sister Tralicia. “When Justin’s life was taken away, so many opportunities were taken away. So many hearts broken. Our stomachs are turning. I have to comfort his twin brother, and the call his twin brother made to me is stuck in my head, about him saying, “They killed Justin.”

The community has rallied around the Robinson family since the shooting, with nearly 1,000 people signing Change.org a petition calling for Justice for Justin.

Ni Ni Tay of Harriet’s Wildest Dreams also spoke to FOX 5 in September.

“If one of my community members fired ten bullets at another person in the back of one of my community members, from the front. They would be in a cage,” she said. “They will be guilty until proven guilty. So it’s time for them to stop giving police officers time off.”

Robinson’s family has repeatedly called for his release full body camera footageand said they wanted the Justice Department to get involved.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office says it continues to investigate allegations of excessive force by law enforcement and will continue to commit the resources necessary to ensure that all allegations of serious civil rights violations are fully and fully investigated.

*WARNING: Some viewers may find this video disturbing. Viewers are advised to exercise caution*

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