A Metro Transit Police officer fatally shot a man inside a train tunnel Thursday night near the Potomac Avenue Metro Station, shutting down the D.C. station overnight.
A Metro spokesman said the shooting was preceded by a report of an unauthorized person on the train tracks.
“When transit police responded, they began a search in the tunnel and that resulted in an officer-involved shooting,” said Metro spokesman Dan Stessel.
It was unclear whether the person killed was armed or what interaction the person may have had with the officer who opened fire.
The shooting occurred around 9:10 p.m. Thursday at about 400 feet inside the tunnel leading east from the Potomac Avenue station in Southeast, Metro officials said.
The D.C. firefighters union tweeted information about the incident saying that Metro had to shut down power to the train’s high-voltage third rail before medics were able to make their way into the tunnel to render aid to the person who was shot.
The person was pronounced dead by an EMS supervisor while still on the train tracks, according to the firefighters union.
No Metro Transit Police officers were injured.
The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the shooting as a homicide.
The man killed has not been publicly identified nor has the officer involved.
The officer has been put on administrative leave, as is standard procedure in fatal police shootings.
The Potomac Avenue station was closed, resulting in delays for the rest of the evening on the Blue, Orange and Silver lines. The station was expected to re-open and operate as normal Friday morning.
• Andrea Noble can be reached at anoble@washingtontimes.com.
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