At approximately 2:00 this afternoon, an off-duty Metropolitan Police Department officer was working, in civilian attire, as an employee in the Discount Mart located in the 3500 block of East Capitol Street, NE. It was at this time that he tried to stop and then chased a man out of the store after the man reportedly stole some clothing and sundry items. The officer identified himself and chased the man to a parking lot. The suspect reportedly stopped and turned with a gun in his hand. At this point the officer was forced to fire his service weapon striking the man once in the arm and once in the chest.

The suspect was taken to D.C. General Hospital and admitted in critical condition. His identity is unknown and he is described as a black male believed to be in his mid to late twenties. An after action inspection revealed the weapon to be a black plastic simulated semi-automatic toy gun.

The officer is identified as 33-year old Darrell Cousar, an eleven-year-veteran assigned to the department's Identification and Records Division.

The case is currently under investigation by the department's Sixth District Detectives and the Force Investigation Team.

Update: The unidentified male has been charged with ADW gun (assault with a dangerous weapon) and Theft II.