In the early morning hours of June 2, 2004, a violent encounter in Oxon Hill, Maryland, claimed the life of 34-year-old Clifton Rife II. An off-duty District of Columbia police sergeant, Rife was visiting a friend at the Riverview Terrace apartments in the 5400 block of Livingston Terrace. As he walked toward the apartment, a masked assailant, later identified as 16-year-old Jonathan M. Washington, confronted him with a pistol in an attempt to rob him.
A gunfight erupted between the two.
Rife, a 13-year veteran of the D.C. police force, drew his service revolver and exchanged fire with Washington. Rife was struck in the chest during the shootout, while Washington sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body. Despite his severe injuries, Rife was able to alert his friend that he had been shot before help was summoned.
Police arrived at the scene to find Washington deceased. Rife was airlifted to Prince George's Hospital Center, but he succumbed to his injuries shortly after arrival. Authorities later revealed that Washington was a runaway from a group home and had a juvenile arrest record. As the sole suspect in the attempted robbery and Rife's death also died at the scene, no arrests were made in the case.
