Washington D.C. police are searching for three suspects allegedly behind multiple stabbing incidents two blocks from the White House that left three people injured early Wednesday morning.
Two men and one woman were stabbed in the 1400 block of New York Avenue at around 2:25 a.m., and suffered minor, non-life threatening injuries, police said in a statement. They were taken to a local hospital.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said that it is on the lookout for two black males wearing all black clothing, and one black female wearing black sweatpants with a white stripe, orange leggings, and a grey coat, noting that she was seen armed with a knife.
MPD statement on Assault with a Dangerous Weapon (Knife) Offense: 1400 Block of New York Avenue, NW: https://t.co/nsp0DfieTq pic.twitter.com/4pETAxZXPk
— DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) November 4, 2020
According to WUSA9, the MPD initially released a statement that identified two rival protest groups as those involved in the incident. The department has since clarified that it “cannot verify any specific affiliation of the suspects.”
An individual claiming to be the head of the Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, claimed Wednesday that he and two other group members were also victims in the stabbing incidents.
The Proud Boy’s core values, according to the group’s website, include supporting free speech and gun rights, being against the war on drugs and racism, supporting minimal government and strong borders.
“We were helping some guy that was getting stabbed by two black males and one female. Bevelyn got stabbed as well as two Proud Boys and the guy they were attacking,” Tarrio told the outlet. “I got slashed, but it’s not serious. We were walking to our cars.”
The victims told police that the suspects were affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement, according to WJLA.
MPD Police Chief Peter Newsham later said during a news outlet that officers interviewed the victims at the hospital, and are not able to verify who those involved are affiliated with. The department also did not confirm that the victims were members of the Proud Boys.
“After more extensive investigation with the victims of the crime, we don’t know who (the suspects) are affiliated with,” Newsham said. “We don’t know the affiliations of the suspects or the victims in this case.”
The police chief said that the motive behind the attack is unknown, and the events leading up to the incident remain unclear. The incident remains under investigation, he said.
He said that information gathered at the scene is “preliminary in nature” and that it will be part of the investigation.
The MPD told The Epoch Times that there are no further updates to be provided at this time.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the MPD at (202) 727-9099.
