In the late hours of a Sunday evening in a Southeast Washington, D.C. neighborhood, the life of 20-year-old Nathaniel Ford was tragically cut short. On December 6, 2020, at approximately 10:02 p.m., the sound of gunshots pierced the night in the 2300 block of Hartford Street, SE. Responding to a shot spotter alert and reports of a shooting, Metropolitan Police Department officers arrived to a grim scene.
They discovered Nathaniel Ford inside the hallway of a building, suffering from gunshot wounds.
Emergency medical services were dispatched and transported Ford to a local hospital in a desperate attempt to save his life. Despite their efforts, he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. The investigation that followed painted a harrowing picture of his final moments. According to detectives, two individuals had approached Ford and opened fire. The brazen act of violence was overheard by Special Police Officers who were in the vicinity. They witnessed two armed suspects fleeing the scene with handguns.
What ensued was a tense and dangerous confrontation. As the suspects fled, one of them engaged in an exchange of gunfire with a Special Police Officer. In the aftermath of this chaotic scene, officers a short distance away in the 2700 block of Bruce Place, Southeast, located a 15-year-old male with a gunshot wound to his buttocks. His injury was determined to be non-life-threatening, and he was taken to an area hospital for treatment. Investigators believe he was wounded by the Special Police Officer during the earlier exchange of gunfire.
Following their investigation, detectives arrested the 15-year-old and charged him with First Degree Murder while Armed in connection with Nathaniel Ford's death. While one suspect was apprehended, the police investigation remained ongoing. The Metropolitan Police Department offered a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any other individuals responsible for the homicide.
