When Maurica Manyan, 25, secured a job as a special officer for the Anacostia Neighborhood Library in Washington, D.C., she jumped at the opportunity with hopes for her and her 5-year-old son’s future. However, she was tragically killed about six months later when a retired police officer shot her after a training exercise.
Now, her family is meeting with Justin Carter for TSR Investigates and spreading awareness about the situation as they take on the District of Columbia in a civil lawsuit.
A Witness Says The Training Instructor Pretended To Shoot Maurica Ahead Of The Tragedy
The tragedy occurred on Aug. 4, 2022, after a contractor held a training at the Washington, D.C., library.
Surveillance footage shared with The Shade Room shows that, after the training, participants were socializing as they wrapped up. They then prepared to take a group photo, though Manyan is described as pausing to remove her face mask, prompting some joking about how “she was never ready.”
Amid the laughter, viewers can see the retired police officer — Jesse Porter, 60 — separating from the group before suddenly wielding his firearm and shooting Manyan.
We should add that, per court records, a witness described Porter as previously making a “funny comment” to Manyan before he “pointed an orange training firearm at the decedent and simulated shooting her.” Porter also seems visibly dismayed after shooting Manyan.
The Family’s Attorneys Chime In
In the wake of the incident, attorney Chelsea Lewis, one of the family’s lawyers, notes that Porter took a plea deal. Porter pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and received a 36-month sentence, though Lewis acknowledges that the family “vehemently objected” to this.
Another attorney, Latoya Francis-Williams, spoke on how the situation is “not just about Mr. Porter.”
“Mr. Porter was acting at the behest of and on behalf of the D.C. government. … That is what the civil suit is about.”
Continuing, Francis-Williams declared that responding authorities “were very casual” while handling the situation.
“They should have taken his weapon from him immediately. They should have handcuffed him immediately. They should have sent him for drug and alcohol testing immediately. … Quite frankly, people were very casual. Very casual. Didn’t treat him as if he was a shooter.”
Citing city code, the family’s team also notes that Washington, D.C., mandates that “no person holding a license shall carry a pistol” in any building “occupied by the District of Columbia, its agencies, or instrumentalities.”
As the family seeks further justice through their civil lawsuit, they’re collecting donations on GoFundMe to “navigate a funeral, legal battle and the mounting cost associated with losing a loved one so quickly.” You can access the fundraiser here.
Check out the new episode of TSR Investigates down below.
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