In a recent incident in Washington, D.C., a member of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor's security detail was involved in a shooting during an attempted carjacking. According to court documents, the incident took place in the early morning hours of July 5 when two deputy U.S. Marshals were on duty in an unmarked government car.
As the deputies were stationed near Sotomayor's home, they were approached by a man who emerged from a silver minivan and brandished a gun at one of the deputies through the driver's side window. In response, the deputy drew his department-issued firearm and fired multiple shots at the armed man, striking him in the mouth. The deputy then provided first aid to the suspect, who was later hospitalized and arrested on charges of attempted carjacking and resisting officers.
While the court documents did not mention Justice Sotomayor directly and there is no indication that she was the target of the attack, the incident underscores the risks faced by law enforcement officers and security personnel in the line of duty.
This incident comes in the wake of a series of high-profile carjackings in the nation's capital, including incidents involving a diplomat from the United Arab Emirates, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas, and an attempted break-in of an unmarked Secret Service vehicle protecting President Joe Biden's granddaughter. Despite these incidents, police data indicates that the overall number of carjackings in Washington, D.C. has been on the decline so far this year.