Officers Carl Hiott, Andrew Wong, and Dorian DeSantis

On September 16, 2013, a lone gunman entered the headquarters of the Naval Sea Systems Command at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, DC, and began killing people. The suspect entered the building with a disassembled shotgun, assembled the shotgun in a fourth-floor bathroom, and then proceeded to make his way through the building shooting civilians and staff. At one point, he shot a security officer and took his pistol. Following 911 calls, multiple agencies, including the U.S. Park Police and the District’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), began arriving and searching the building for the active shooter.

U.S. Park Police Officers Carl Hiott and Andrew Wong and MPD Officer Dorian DeSantis were among the initial responders. The officers arrived separately and were directed by an MPD official to move into the building with other officers arriving from multiple agencies. The officers were given a general description of the suspect and advised that the suspect was possibly located on the third floor.

Officers Hiott and Wong, initially operating within two separate entry teams, moved into the building and began the process of clearing office spaces and escorting civilians out of the building. Both officers’ teams moved to the third floor, where they encountered additional civilians. While the other officers escorted civilians out of the area, Officer Hiott, Officer Wong, and MPD Officer DeSantis teamed up and continued the search.

As Officers DeSantis, Hiott, and Wong were clearing the third floor, they entered an open office space. Officer Wong remained at the entrance of this office space to provide cover, while Officers DeSantis and Hiott began clearing individual cubicles.

As Officer DeSantis moved into the opening of the last cubicle; Officer Hiott, who was providing cover, observed movement within a cubicle. He then observed muzzle flashes and heard gunshots come from within the cubicle. Officer Hiott, using his patrol rifle, returned fire at the suspect. Officer DeSantis also returned fire. They then entered the cubicle, while Officer Wong moved up to the entrance of the cubicle and covered areas that had not been cleared. Fortunately, the officers were not injured. Within the cubicle, they located a suspect who fit the description of the active shooter. He was found to be incapacitated with a handgun laying at his feet. The suspect ultimately killed 12 people and injured others, including two MPD officers.

Officers Hiott, DeSantis, and Wong then cleared the remaining offices and found several more civilians, who were then escorted out of the area by Officer Wong. The actions of these officers in direct response to the active shooter threat demonstrated the highest levels of professionalism and courage in the face of imminent danger.

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