DHS says Bebber fired defensive shots
U.S. Department of Homeland SecurityDepartment of Homeland Security spokesperson
A DHS spokesperson said Brown deliberately drove at a Metropolitan Police Department officer and a Homeland Security Investigations agent, and that the agent fired defensive shots in fear for his life and the lives of others.
“During the attempted stop, the suspect drove his vehicle at a Metro Police officer and a special agent from Homeland Security Investigations, in a deliberate attempt to run them down. The agent, in fear for his life, and the lives of others, and the public fired defensive shots into the suspect’s vehicle.”
Reporting
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Was HSI Agent Benedict Bebber justified in firing at Phillip M. Brown?
On October 17, 2025, Homeland Security Investigations agent Benedict Bebber fired multiple rounds at Phillip M. Brown's Dodge Durango during a traffic stop on Benning Road in Washington, D.C. Brown was not hit. The Department of Homeland Security said Brown deliberately tried to run officers down and that Bebber fired defensive shots while fearing for his life and others. Brown's lawyers said no officer was in the vehicle's path and pointed to bullet strikes through the driver's side. Two released Metropolitan Police Department body-camera clips capture the gunfire and aftermath but do not show Bebber firing. A judge dismissed Brown's fleeing charge for insufficient evidence, and the U.S. Attorney declined to prosecute Bebber. The dispute is whether Brown's vehicle presented an imminent threat when Bebber fired.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
Associated Press reporting on the shooting, DHS's defensive-fire account, the omission of the gunfire from the initial arrest report, bullet damage described by Brown's lawyers and dismissal of Brown's fleeing charge.
Reporting
About this source
Guardian report reproducing Quo Mieko Judkins’s statement to Washington City Paper and DHS’s contemporaneous defense of the shooting.
Before the quotation
DHS responded after Brown’s attorneys challenged the shooting and the omission of gunfire from the initial police report.
After the quotation
The agency said the shooting was under investigation and framed the incident as part of a broader pattern of vehicles being used against officers.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
DHS explicitly supplies a self-defense justification for Bebber's decision to fire.
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Corrections to this statement
These notices document reporting corrections, classification changes, and topic-label updates.
Reporting correction
Correction to: Statement by U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- Previous language
- This statement was attributed to Tricia McLaughlin, and its summary read: "McLaughlin said Brown deliberately drove at officers and that Bebber fired defensive shots out of fear for their safety."
- Corrected language
- This statement is attributed to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, through an unnamed spokesperson. Its summary now reads: "A DHS spokesperson said Brown deliberately drove at a Metropolitan Police Department officer and a Homeland Security Investigations agent, and that the agent fired defensive shots in fear for his life and the lives of others."
The cited Associated Press and Guardian reports attribute this statement to an unnamed Department of Homeland Security spokesperson or to DHS itself. Neither names Tricia McLaughlin, and the original Washington City Paper report also names no spokesperson. We have reattributed the statement to the department.
This corrects our account of what happened.
Associated Press reporting on the shooting, DHS's defensive-fire account, the omission of the gunfire from the initial arrest report, bullet damage described by Brown's lawyers and dismissal of Brown's fleeing charge.
Guardian report reproducing Quo Mieko Judkins’s statement to Washington City Paper and DHS’s contemporaneous defense of the shooting.
More from this case
Read the full caseAmnesty condemns the shooting
Amnesty International
“unlawful use of lethal force”Read statement
Not In Our Name says the circumstances did not justify firing
Not In Our Name
“It is not a reason to fire into his car, and it is not why the shooting was left out of two police reports.”Read statement
Merawi Gerima demands charges in the Brown shooting
“It shows in fact that Homeland Security was doing exactly what they did in Minneapolis with Renee Good, using the vehicle as a pretext to try and murder somebody in cold blood. We want charges. We want federal agents charged, we want MPD and investigators charged. You can't nearly murder someone in D.C. and get to go back to work, continue patrolling the streets of D.C.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "DHS says Bebber fired defensive shots". First published: 2026-09-22. Last updated: 2026-09-25. https://disputeindex.com/events/1480-a-dhs-spokesperson-said-brown-deliberately-drove-at