In the early moments of a September morning in Washington, D.C., the sound of gunshots shattered the predawn quiet on the 900 block of Rittenhouse Street, Northwest. Responding to the call at approximately 12:07 a.m., Metropolitan Police Department officers discovered a grim scene. Two men had been shot. One of them, 65-year-old Eyon Falby, a Black male, was found with fatal gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The other victim's injuries were not considered life-threatening.
As officers began to render aid and investigate the chaotic scene, a man identified as 30-year-old Daron Barnes allegedly fled in a red Kia. A police pursuit quickly ensued. The chase was short-lived and ended when the Kia struck an unmarked police cruiser and multiple parked cars before overturning in the 6300 block of 9th Street, Northwest. As police approached the wrecked vehicle and ordered the driver out, they say he brandished a firearm. After the man ignored multiple commands to drop his weapon, an officer fired, striking and injuring him.
The suspect, Daron Barnes of Northwest, D.C., was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He was subsequently arrested on a number of charges, including assault on a police officer, carrying a pistol without a license, and fleeing from law enforcement. The firearm recovered from his vehicle was reported stolen from Maryland. At the time of this incident, Barnes was also wanted on an outstanding warrant for a domestic violence assault. While Barnes was arrested at the scene of the homicide, police did not immediately name him as a suspect in the death of Eyon Falby. The officer involved in the shooting was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.
