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Press Release
Virginia Man Arrested for Assaulting Law Enforcement and Other Offenses During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach
Press Release
WASHINGTON – Saeve Edward Evans, 37, of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty today to firing 14 rounds at a Metropolitan Police Department officer. The shooting, in the early morning of August 1, 2023, occurred on the 1700 block of Benning Road, Northeast. The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The officer was not injured. Evans pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to assault on a police officer while armed, and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term of over one year.
U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton set a sentencing date for May 22, 2024.
“Every day, our officers risk their own well-being to fight crime in our city,” said Chief Smith. “In firing those 14 rounds, Mr. Evans displayed a reprehensible disregard for the safety of both our officer and our community. I’m relieved that no one was hurt, and I’m pleased that Mr. Evans has taken some accountability for his actions by pleading guilty.”
According to court documents, on Tuesday, August 1, 2023, at about 5:25 a.m., Evans was walking a dog outside on the 1700 block of Benning Road, Northeast. When an unknown individual walked in front of the building, Evans pulled out a gun, pointed the gun towards the sky, and fired three times in the air. The unknown individual ran away.
At 5:28 a.m., an MPD officer was dispatched to the location to investigate the gunfire. The officer, who was wearing a full police uniform and driving a marked MPD cruiser, spotted Evans on the sidewalk adjacent to a three-story apartment building. Evans aimed at the officer, fired the gun three times, then moved towards the apartment entrance. Moving up a ramp, Evans pointed his gun at the officer again and fired nine more live rounds. The officer returned fire before taking cover behind his police cruiser. Inside the building, Evans climbed the stairs to the third-floor landing and fired two more shots at the officer through large windows. In total, Evans fired 14 rounds at the officer.
Additional MPD officers from the Fifth District responded to assist and entered the building on Benning Road. Officers located Evans on the third-floor landing of the apartment building. Before officers placed Evans under arrest, Evans said, “Ain’t no gun, I took it off me.” Officers recovered the firearm on the third floor landing. DNA evidence further linked the firearm -- a black Springfield XD 9x19 pistol with an empty 16 round magazine -- to Evans. DNA evidence linked Evans to the gun, which was stolen on March 9, 2023, from the state of Texas.
Evans faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison on the charge of assault on a police officer while armed. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was investigated by detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colin Cloherty and Justin Song, the Records Department of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and MPD Detectives.
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