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WASHINGTON - Students at KIPP DC Academy in Southeast D.C. are being dismissed in the midst of a police standoff that left four officers injured Wednesday morning.
Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said KIPP DC LEAP Academy students were being released early, beginning at 2 p.m., as they continue to negotiate with a shooting suspect at a home in the 5000 block of Hanna Place.
Police are allowing DC school buses and WMATA buses into the area to pick up students. Parents and guardians are asked to come to the entrance at 46th Street at Benning Road to pick their children up and any students unable to be picked up by their parents will be held with the leadership team at the school until they can get home safely.
No students are allowed to walk home or take public transportation by themselves.
The school, located on Benning Road, is about a quarter of a mile away from the location of the barricade situation that police have been working for hours.
BREAKING: 3 DC officers shot in Southeast: Suspect remains in active barricade situation
The first shots rang out around 7:30 a.m. as police officers attempted to serve an arrest warrant on a suspect for cruelty to animals. According to police, when they tried to enter the home, the suspect began shooting, hitting three officers. A fourth was injured in the incident but was not shot.
In an afternoon press conference, Chief Smith says at this time, all of the officers appear to be doing ok and are in "good spirits."
Smith says at this time, it's not clear if officers exchanged gunfire with the suspect, or if the suspect was injured at all.
Following the shooting, the suspect barricaded himself inside of a home and Smith says police have not had any contact with him since. However, they are continuing negotiations with the suspect on the phone as they continue to clear students and residents out of the area.
Smith says the suspect, whose identity has not yet been released, has been "up and down."
"During conversation, he appears to communicate very effectively with us, but then there are times he appears very agitated," Smith said.
She says the negotiations are ongoing. No further press conferences are expected but Smith says police will issue updates as they come.
READ THE FULL LETTER TO KIPP DC FAMILIES BELOW
KIPP DC Families,
We will conduct a controlled early dismissal at our Benning Campus starting at 2 pm. All students must be picked up by a family member or guardian at that time. We are NOT able to release students before 2 pm.
In order to maintain a safe dismissal process, each student must be signed out for dismissal by a guardian on their safe list with a valid ID. All students will dismiss from the main visitor entrance at the corner of Benning Rd & 46th St SE. No students will be permitted to walk home or take public transportation by themselves. Students and families should return straight home immediately after dismissal given the ongoing safety situation in the neighborhood.
Please do NOT attempt to access the Benning Campus before 2 pm. MPD will open street access to the corner of Benning Road SE and 46th Street SE for family members to pick up students starting at that time, but we expect traffic to be heavy and slow. KIPP DC students will NOT be taken to the reunification center being set up for other local schools.
Students who take school buses provided by OSSE will continue to have this transportation service scheduled for 3:30 pm. Families who wish to pick these students up early may also do so after 2 pm.
All aftercare, after-school activities, and extracurriculars are canceled this afternoon.
We will continue to communicate updates as we receive more information from public officials and first responders.
We thank you for your patience and cooperation.
Best,
KIPP DC Operations Team