Justin Robinson Obituary, Death – A violence interrupter was fatally shot by D.C. police early Sunday morning after a series of incidents involving a McDonald’s in Southeast Washington. The man, identified as 26-year-old Justin Robinson from Southeast D.C., was pronounced dead at the scene.
Robinson was employed as a violence interrupter with the D.C. Office of the Attorney General and the Cure the Streets program, which focuses on mediating conflicts and reducing violence in the community.
The incident began around 5:30 a.m. when officers responded to a call about a vehicle that had crashed into the side of a McDonald’s located in the 2500 block of Marion Barry Avenue SE in the Skyland area. The collision caused only minor damage to the fast-food restaurant.
According to police, when officers arrived, they found Robinson unresponsive in the vehicle with a gun visible on his lap. A witness, who spoke with News4, reported that he had seen two drivers who appeared unconscious in the drive-thru lane and attempted to wake them by knocking on their windows. After leaving the parking lot, he continued to observe and record the scene on his cellphone.
As the police approached, Robinson reportedly began to move and reached for his gun. Chief of Police Pamela Smith stated that Robinson was instructed to drop the weapon. Instead, he allegedly grabbed one of the officers’ service weapons.
According to a police statement released Monday, as officers drew their weapons and approached Robinson, he seized an officer’s firearm. Two officers then fired at Robinson, hitting him.
A cellphone video recorded by the witness captures the chaotic moments with shouts of “Oh! Oh! Shots! Shots! Oh! Oh!” in the background.
D.C. Fire and EMS arrived promptly and began treating Robinson, but he was declared dead at the scene. The incident has sparked protests, with demonstrators blocking traffic outside the Seventh District police station the following day.
The Metropolitan Police Department and other agencies are investigating the shooting, and further details are expected as the investigation continues.