A Washington, DC police officer has been formally charged with second-degree murder for the deadly shooting of a man found asleep in his car in August 2021.
The US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia charged 41-year-old Metropolitan Police Sergeant Enis Jevric on March 7 with civil rights violation and murder in the second degree for the fatal shooting of An’Twan Gilmore, 27.
US Attorney Matthew M. Graves said in a press release that when a police officer disregards the safety of an American citizen he swore to protect, he violates the trust bestowed upon him by his badge.
Graves emphasized that the officer’s indictment showed his office’s commitment to holding officers accountable for civil rights violations.
Jevric was responding to 911 calls about a man who appeared asleep or unconscious in his car and blocked a traffic lane on August 25, 2021. According to the Metropolitan Police Department, the officer fired several shots into the car, killing Gilmore.
Jevric and other responding officers arrived and saw a car still running with Gilmore asleep inside with his foot on the brake pedal. According to the police, the officers approached him and spotted a gun tucked in his waistband.
Officers regrouped and then approached the car again using a ballistic shield. Gilmore woke up, took his foot off the brake pedal, and moved the car forward.
Body camera footage shows officers approaching the car and tapping its window before shouting, “don’t move.”
The car stopped and then moved forward again, and one of the officers opened fire. He shot at the car several times, striking Gilmore.
The officers took the driver to a nearby hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.
Gilmore’s death sparked outrage in the community, with people protesting against the use of excessive force by the police.
According to the indictment, Jevric deprived his victim of his right to be free from police use of excessive force. If convicted, Jevric will be facing life in prison.
FBI Washington Field Office Assistant Director David Sundberg said in the release that law enforcement officers should be held to the highest standards because of their oath to protect and serve.
