Surafel Zerihun Obituary, Death;- A man who was fatally shot by D.C. police on Tuesday evening has been identified as a 29-year-old resident of Northwest Washington. Authorities reported that the individual, Surafel Zerihun, threatened an officer with a knife and attempted to carjack a woman during the incident, which took place in the parking lot of a laundromat located in the 3500 block of Georgia Avenue NW, near the Petworth Metro station.
Zerihun’s father, Abebaw Bogale, aged 52, expressed skepticism regarding the police’s version of events, stating that he lacks information beyond what has been reported in the media. He noted that his son had pursued a degree in computer science at the University of the District of Columbia and held part-time employment both with him and at a ride-share company.
“He was a quiet boy, and I cannot fathom what transpired that led to his death,” Bogale remarked. He works as an independent contractor in the field of information technology and resides in Silver Spring. He emphasized that his son had no criminal history, “does not drink, does not do drugs,” and regularly attended church.
A spokesperson for the D.C. police confirmed that Zerihun had no arrest record, and court records in Maryland show no entries associated with his name. Bogale mentioned that his son immigrated to the United States from Ethiopia at the age of 14 and lived independently in D.C.
“I have never seen a weapon in his hands,” Bogale stated. The officer involved in the shooting has been placed on standard administrative leave while the investigation and a review by the U.S. attorney’s office are conducted. Footage from the officer’s body camera may be released next week, contingent upon Bogale’s consent.
Authorities are working to understand the motives behind what they have characterized as a perplexing series of events leading up to the shooting, which occurred around 6:10 p.m. Reports indicate that Zerihun was driving south on Georgia Avenue NW against oncoming traffic when he collided with a D.C. police vehicle. Following the crash, Zerihun exited his vehicle, brandished a knife, and allegedly reached into the police vehicle’s side window, demanding the officer’s firearm. The officer involved has not yet been identified.
